An Eye For An Eye
by Nili
Summary: When someone from the past resurfaces and threatens Rivendell and its inhabitants, can Elrond with the help of Legolas protect his sons and especially Aragorn from falling victim to his plans? Or will they all get caught in a blaze of revenge and pain?
1. Positioning the Pieces

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** An Eye For An Eye**

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** Rating: ** Uhm, I dunno, what about PG-13 for future chapters? It's my first fic, so if anybody thinks this should have a different rating, please let me know.

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** Disclaimer: ** I do not own anything in Middle Earth, every recognizable character, setting, place and so on belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien, except for the rest, which is to blame on my unstable state of mind. I do not have permission to use any of the above, but I do so anyway. Evil, hm? Oh, and yes, this little story was written just for fun, and I _certainly_ will receive no money for it.

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** Summary: ** When someone from the past resurfaces and threatens Rivendell and its inhabitants, can Elrond with the help of Legolas protect his sons and especially Aragorn from falling victim to his plans? Or will they all get caught in the crossfire of revenge and retribution?

** Additional disclaimers: ** I have decided to follow Cassia and Sio's lead and pretend that Gilraen was killed with Arathorn, not because I don't like her, no, but because this is my first fic ever and I didn't want it to be more complicated than it is already anyway. And before I can write a complicated female character, I will have to write a lot more fics . A lot!! 

Some people have told me that this is an **AU**, and I think they are correct, in a way. I totally ignore the fact that Aragorn's supposed to have met Arwen just after he had been told of his heritage, and I am aware of the fact that I am not Tolkien, and therefore do not even begin to sound like him. I could never write as well as he does, so well, you'll have to bear with me.  


Please also note that I have chosen to use "mellonamin" and not " mellon-nin" or "nin mellon", it's just because the dictionary I use does it this way and I wanted to stick with one version. So, if this bothers you, just read " nin mellon" every time "mellonamin" is used, okay?

This is the first story I have ever written, so please don't be too hard on me! English is not even my first language!! If there are some really bad mistakes (and I don't doubt that!), please send me an email and tell me! I will be most happy to correct them!

And, last but not least, I would like to dedicate this story to Lina Skye and Halo Son.

That I should write a story was their idea in the first place, and they have given me lots of support and – in Halo's case – the power to zap my characters so they can't escape in between chapters. Thank you Thank you Thank you!! *hugs both of them*

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Chapter 1

When Elrond Peredhil, Lord of Imladris, entered the Hall of Fire on a sunny autumn morning, he didn't really expect to see one of his children up this early. 

Much to his surprise, his two younger sons were already sitting at one of the tables, talking quietly to each other and looking – for Elrond's liking – far too peaceful and innocent.

'Yes', Elrond mused while studying them closely, 'especially Estel is looking positively angelic today. I wonder what…' His thoughts were interrupted when the boy in question lifted his head and, silver eyes sparkling with mischief, called out a greeting.

"Good morning, _ada_, did you sleep well?"

Elrohir greeted his father as well, but couldn't quite hide the grin that was forming at the corners of his lips. Elrond suppressed a shudder. This was not a good sign.

"Good morning, my sons, what are you doing here this early in the morning?" 

Elrond decided that, whatever the two of them had been planning, he was probably safer a good deal away from them, so he seated himself in a stuffy armchair some distance away from where the boys were sitting on one of the long benches that lined the carved wooden tables.

Looking from one innocent face to the other, he asked himself – not for the first time – why the Valar had decided that the twins weren't enough trouble on their own. Rubbing his forehead, he mentally sighed and wondered why he had accepted Glorfindel's bet. 

He should have known that Estel's indifference to Elladan's teasing about what had happened during their hunt last evening was but one stage of one of his human son's elaborate plans to revenge himself on his elven brother. Later that evening, Glorfindel had suggested that Elrond keep a close eye on his youngest, while Elrond merely voiced his hope that Estel was finally achieving some degree of maturity. At which his golden haired advisor had unsuccessfully tried to stifle his laughter and bet Elrond that before two days were over, Estel would have managed to come up with a plan to get his own back on his elder brother. 

'And,' Elrond mused, contemplating the foolishness of his actions, 'I had to accept, of course. Sweet Eru, what have they done this time?'

Raising his eyes to meet his son's, he decided to at least try to give them a chance to explain themselves.

"Very well, you two, what have you done to him?"

"Done to whom, father?" replied Estel, a look of pure innocence on his face that made Elrond's blood run cold.

"You know of whom I speak, my son!! I am talking about your…"

Elrond never had a chance to finish the sentence, for at that moment a shout rang out that shook the Last Homely House to its very foundations. Closing his eyes and trying to get rid of the ringing that still sounded in his ears, he noted with surprise that he had never known an Elf's voice could reach these volumes. 

Then again, perhaps he had been mistaken. On second though, it sounded more like a horde of attacking orcs than anything else.

Very big, very angry orcs.

Estel seemed to have noticed that as well, his dark eyes nervously darting to the exits, and his grin suddenly seemed to have frozen in place. 

Before anyone got the chance to utter a single word, Elladan rushed down the stone stairs, skidding to a halt at the bottom of the staircase. 

Elrond sighed and decided that he could as well face the inevitable, and opened his eyes so he could see his eldest son, desperately wishing to be somewhere else.

Elladan stood at the bottom of the stairs, clad only in a pair of breeches, which, at any other time, would have seemed a highly inappropriate attire for a son of Elrond, even in his own house. But before Elrond could find his voice to demand an explanation, his eyes trailed up to Elladan's face, which was tinged an interesting shade of red up to the tips of his elegantly pointed ears. 

"See, little brother," gasped Elrohir while his body shook with silent laughter, "I _told_ you this wasn't a good idea."

"Don't try to shift the blame on me, brother, it was _ you_ who got me the sleeping potion," Aragorn answered, his eyes never leaving his brother as Elladan slowly came closer.

"Explain. This." he hissed in a tone of voice that would've made a nazgûl stop dead in its tracks.

"Explain what, dear brother?" Aragorn queried in what he hoped was an innocent voice.

"My hair. It is …" Elladan replied in a deceivingly patient voice, slowly rounding the table that separated him from his siblings.

"Yes?" Estel prompted, the grin returning to his face while Elrohir was howling with laughter.

"GREEN! That's what it is!" yelled the older twin, losing the last shreds of his calm composure. 

Yes, Elrond silently agreed, that it certainly was. He didn't really know what Estel had used to dye Elladan's once raven black hair this exquisite bright green colour, and, on second thought, he wasn't sure he wanted to either. But 'green' was as good a term as any. 

"Don't worry, Elladan," Aragorn said, grinning broadly while slowly sliding backwards on the bench, trying to get as far away from his irate elven brother as possible. "'Tis nothing but a little calenril. It will wash out."

"Right. In a few weeks nobody will know there was anything wrong with your hair at all," Elrohir ground out between his teeth, gasping for air. 

"Weeks??" Elladan bellowed, and quickly closed the distance that still lay between him and his human brother, who, not to be cornered by someone, brother or not, who was so clearly after his blood, quickly jumped behind one of the intricately carved pillars, trying to keep his brother at bay.

"That's it, little brother, you are going to pay. Wait till I'm finished with you and _your _hair!"

"You practically _ asked_ for it, brother. I asked you not to talk about that little incident, but you wouldn't listen…" Aragorn replied, unconsciously touching his own black hair, but stopped in mid-sentence, nimbly avoiding Elladan, who had used the opportunity to lunge at his brother. 

Quickly jumping to the right out of his brother's reach, he tried to get closer to the door, using another pillar as a shield.

"No one is here to help you now, you little brat!" Elrond's oldest son stated menacingly, clearly forgetting about their father, who was still sitting in his armchair trying very hard to restrain his own laughter.

Aragorn tried to reach the next pillar to his right, but Elladan quickly stepped forward, barring his way. 

Backing away from his now quickly advancing brother, Estel desperately looked around him for help.

"Elrohir, do something! You cannot let him kill me!"

Elrohir raised his hands which had grabbed the desk in an attempt to keep himself from sliding off the bench and onto the floor, shaking with laughter.

"D-Don't draw me into this, little brother, it was all your idea!"

Taking a look at Aragorn's panicked expression as Elladan slowly closed the distance between them, Elrohir burst out laughing again.

"Father! Help me!" Estel pleaded in desperation, not daring to take his eyes off Elladan's scowling face.

Elrond shook his head and didn't even try to hide his smile.

"No, my son, I don't think I will. When you pull a prank like this, you must be willing to face the consequences."

Not even waiting for his father to finish the sentence, Elladan threw himself forward, trying to grab Aragorn grey shirt sleeve. 

Only his quick, elven-trained reflexes saved him, and, side-stepping his brother, he turned tail and raced out of the hall, a cursing Elladan on his heels.

Attempting to refrain from laughing and rubbing his forehead again, Elrond made a mental note to ask his son _ where__ exactly_ he had picked up these specific Quenya and Dwarven curses, and gestured at his younger elven son, who was still snickering helplessly.

"Don't act so innocently, Elrohir, I know you are as much to blame as Estel. Now would you please go and see to it that they don't kill each other, I really do not want to patch up one or both of them again."

Swallowing the laughter that still threatened to overtake him, Elrohir merely nodded and left the hall, smiling merrily and silently thanking the Valar that his twin brother wasn't after _ him_ this time. 

Elrond sat back in his chair, enjoying the momentary peace and tranquillity, which was only now and then interrupted by shouts and laughter from the gardens.

Sensing a presence behind him, he turned and looked into the face of his closest advisor, who was obviously trying very hard not to let his mirth show.

"Don't." he warned Glorfindel as he stepped closer, light blue and silver robes softly rustling over the stone floor.

"Good morning to you too, my lord! May I inquire where your sons might be? I think I heard a shout earlier," the golden haired elf replied, his clear voice ringing with suppressed laughter.

"Not. A. Word." Elrond muttered, massaging his now aching head.  
  
At the sound of his friend's laughter he suppressed a groan and buried his face in his hands.

"O Ilúvatar," he asked himself. "Why me?"

Some hours later, everything was returning back to normal, well, as normal as it ever was in Rivendell when all three of Lord Elrond's sons were staying under her roof.  
Elrohir had found his brothers shortly before Elladan could drown Estel in one of the small pools that dotted the gardens, and had persuaded his brother, with some difficulty, not to kill the young human this way, for it would spoil the beautiful, clear water for the next few centuries.   
Finally convinced, Elladan had let Aragorn go, but not before vowing to take revenge in the bloodiest, most gruesome way possible.

Breakfast however was an unusually strained affair with everyone desperately trying not to look at Elladan's hair too openly, which did not improve the once dark haired elf's mood in the slightest.

Now, with everyone in the hunting party ready to leave, Elrond allowed himself to breathe a slow sigh of relief. 

'It could have been worse,' he told himself, 'At least they're still alive.'

An amused smile adorning his fair features, he stood on the balcony outside his library and watched his eldest scowl at a passing servant girl, who couldn't help but stare at him. Although Elladan had spent quite some time in his private quarters washing his hair time and again, it still was tinged a remarkable light green colour. 

A voice behind him interrupted his train of thought. 

"It didn't wash out, did it?"

Elrond tensed slightly and turned, fully prepared for another dose of Glorfindel's I'm-the-slayer-of-balrogs-I'm-always-right-smugness.

"No, it did not. And, if it truly was calenril that Estel used, I doubt it will for some time." 

Elrond motioned his friend to come closer, gazing down into the courtyard, where everyone was waiting for Elrohir to make his appearance, Estel as far away from his older brother as possible.

Sighing again, he turned to look at the fair haired elf at his side.

"Well, actually, it is rather satisfactory to see that Estel has paid attention to at least _some_ of my lessons. I didn't think he would remember the specific qualities of the plant when combined with salt water, I can't even remember having mentioned it at all."

He shot his now grinning friend a warning look.

"Don't. This is not funny. Pray tell, how is it that you never had any children and still best me when predicting what they're up to next?"

With some difficulty, Glorfindel regained control of his facial features and spread his hands in mock ignorance.

"Why, my lord, I have no idea! I only assume the worst and somehow it always comes true. You are far too trusting, _ mellonamin_."

Elrond smiled and watches Elrohir finally arrive, mount his horse and nimbly avoid a smack that Elladan had aimed for his head for keeping them waiting.

"Besides, I believe they are merely bored. As soon as Prince Legolas arrives, they should calm down."

Elrond turned to his advisor incredulously, suddenly questioning his own wisdom when he had appointed such an obviously unstable person such a responsible role in his household. 

"Calm down?" he asked, eying his friend for signs of illness, "Do I have to remind you of what happened last time the prince decided to honour this fair house with his presence?"

"No," he turned back to the courtyard, watching the twin's antics, "Every time young Thranduilion visits, the four of them leave a trail of destruction in their wake. Either he or Estel always end up dragging the other back here half-dead out of some deadly peril or other."

The hunting party turned and headed for the main gates, the three brothers bidding their father farewell in laughing voices.

"May the Valar watch over them, it is a miracle they are still alive considering the pranks they are constantly pulling. One of these days they will get into real trouble this way." 

Elrond muttered darkly, much to his fair haired friend's amusement.  


"Come, my friend, we have to talk about the things that need to be done on your way to Lothlórien," the Lord of Imladris said and turned back inside the Last Homely House, closely followed by his snickering advisor.

Little did he know that said trouble was already brewing in the east, stretching its dark tendrils in the direction of Rivendell and her inhabitants.

Nólad watched as the sun slowly climbed up on her path across the sky.

He loved this time of morning, when nature seemed to wake up from sleep and you believed you could hear Arda greet the new day with joy. 

'Perhaps one could,' he mused, playing with an arrow he had repaired earlier that morning, when the sun had just risen over the horizon and you could still see the stars, blinking faintly.

'When all you've been hearing for such a long time are the sounds of the forest and the soft voices of your companions, perhaps you learn to listen to things a normal elf would not even notice.'

Noting the sound of waking men behind him, he frowned, disgust clearly written on his features.

'Everything is changing,' he thought, turning back to his home.   
'It is yet to be seen if it's a turn for the better or for worse.'

Walking past the men, Nólad headed for the small wooden shed that served as a stable for their horses. Not surprisingly, he found his friend there, checking for one last time if he had packed everything he needed to complete his self-appointed mission.

"So you still intend to do this yourself," he stated, stepping closer to the horse and stroking its nose gently. The horse whinnied softly, clearly enjoying the elf's touch.

"Yes," answered the voice of his friend, with a note of finality that stopped all arguments right from the beginning. A tone of voice, Nólad thought, which had been very much present ever since a single question had been answered a year or so ago. 

"Yes. He is finally going to pay, pay for all the deaths, the pain, and the countless years of exile he has forced upon us. Because of him we have been forced to live in the wilderness, our numbers ever decreasing, to the point where only you and I remain, my friend."

Nólad looked at his dark haired companion, who had mounted his horse while speaking and was now adjusting the packs behind him. He looked up and met the other elf's eye.

With a sudden shudder of fear he noted that, while the deadness in his friend's eyes had not diminished, and probably never would, their dark orbs were now filled with something else: Anger, determination, and a hate so black and consuming that it made his skin crawl. He hadn't seen that look in his friend's eyes for a long time, a very long time, not since that dreadful day nearly 3000 years ago. And he had hoped never to see it again. 

Drawn against his will to keep looking at the fire in his companion's gaze, he realized with a start that nothing he could say would dissuade his friend and lord now; it was far to late for that.

Mutely he nodded, not able to tear his eyes away from the other elf's face.

His friend smiled down at him, and, for a moment, it seemed that the fiery hate had abated somewhat, but when one looked closer, it was still there: The swirling emotions kept burning in the background, biding their time, like an animal waiting for the right moment to pounce.

"Soon, _mellonamin_. The time of our vengeance draws near, and we will avenge those we lost to an undeserved fate. We will teach them that some things can never be forgotten."

Breaking the eye contact, he took up the reigns and studied the sun's position in the sky.

"It is time for me to leave. We will rendezvous at Amon Siril ten days from now. Bring all of the _edain_ ," at this word his forehead wrinkled in distaste, "with you. We will need them."

Nólad stepped back, giving the dark haired elf room to manoeuvre.

"We will be there, my lord. Namárië and may the Valar watch over your path."  
  
His friend laughed, a cold, humourless sound that didn't reach his eyes.

"I seriously doubt that, my friend. I do not think they would agree with our plans."

He spurred his horse on, leaving the fair haired elf and the men behind, making for the High Pass that would take him to the borders of the Elf-haven known among men as Rivendell.

Nólad didn't move for a while, the image of the hate in his friend's eyes still fresh in his mind. Finally shaking himself, he turned from the stables and went back to the little glade where the men were camping, his passing through the small wood not making a sound.

At the edge of the wood he stopped, watching the sun rise at last over the Misty Mountains .

"Everything is changing, indeed. And I do not think for the better," he murmured softly, walking down to the men to inform them of his lord's orders.

  


** TBC…**

_ Mellonamin – my friend  
__ Ada__ – father (daddy)  
Edain – men, humans_

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** Come on, you KNOW you want to review!!! You have no idea how nervous I am about this, so please? Please Please Please??**


	2. Forebodings

Disclaimer: For full disclaimer, please see chapter 1  
  
IT HAS DELETED MY STORY!!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT???? STUPID, STUPID MACHINE!!!!!!!  
AND ALL THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS ARE GONE AS WELL!!!! *wails*  
WELL, I WON'T GIVE UP SO EASILY!!!!  
SO, THIS IS A REPOST, FOLKS, SORRY.... NEXT CHAPTER COMING SOON, I PROMISE!!!  
  
  
  
A/N:  
  
*faints*  
Uhm, yes, that about sums it up. I can't believe how many reviews I got ... THANK YOU!!!! *hugs all of them*  
I am so happy you like it and I truly hope you will enjoy the rest of it as well - but you never know... *evil giggle*  
  
For those of you who wondered: Estel is supposed to be 22 or 23 years old, so it takes place about 2953 (TA).  
  
And yes, the fair prince of Mirkwood is making his appearance in this chapter! It's a rather short one, but well...  
  
  
  
Well, on to the next chapter, there's not much action in it, I'm afraid, but that's all coming in the next part ... and the next ... and the next ... *g*  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 2  
  
  
  
"No."  
  
"Brother…"  
  
"No."  
  
"Elbereth! Stop being so thick-headed! Come on Estel, he won't kill you!"  
  
"Are you so sure about this? I for my part am not."  
  
"You know how he is, brother, he is … like a big fluffy dog, and you know what they say: Barking dogs never bite."  
  
Aragorn turned unbelieving silver eyes on Elrohir, who was perched comfortably on a sturdy branch just above the balcony in front of Aragorn's room. He then dropped his gaze to his boots, which were swinging idly back and forth on the other side of the wooden balustrade, and shifted slightly. The young human looked at the struts that were keeping it upright; each of them was carved into the figurine of a different animal.  
  
As a child he would spent days just sitting on the balcony, looking at the silver swans, deer and wild boars, imagining them coming to life, which seemed not too unlikely, considering the realistic carving of the wooden animals.  
  
"Estel?" Elladan's soft voice drew him back from his thoughts.  
  
He looked up at his elder brother, smiling faintly and trying to make out his brother's silhouette in the growing twilight.  
  
"Do you think we, I mean, I went too far? I can't remember him being this angry since I told father in front of the whole court that he was in love with that Lórien maiden when I was six years old."  
  
He tried to suppress a grin at the memory, which faded quickly when he remembered the situation at hand.  
  
"And it's been nearly a week now," he added thoughtfully.  
  
Elrohir laughed lightly, clearly remembering the incident.  
"Ah, yes, little brother, his face truly was a sight to remember. Rarely have I seen him that embarrassed. But no," his face turned serious again and he hopped down from his branch to settle lightly down next to his human brother on top of the balustrade, "I do not think he is still angry with you. Just go and apologize. He will understand."  
  
Estel looked at him doubtfully.  
"Do you really think so? The last time I saw him he had a definitely wicked sparkle in his eyes, you know, the one that warns of impending doom and destruction which are about to descend on the person unfortunate enough to have angered him."  
  
Elrohir laughed, resting a hand on the young ranger's shoulder.  
"Don't worry, little brother. It will be alright. His hair is almost back to normal now. He will not harm you…permanently."  
  
He stopped to flash a mischievous grin in Aragorn's direction, who merely rolled his eyes in annoyance.  
  
"Besides, I absolutely refuse to escort Glorfindel to the southern borders tomorrow if you two keep shooting these looks at each other," he added smiling.  
  
Aragorn scowled at him, shrugged off his brother's arm and climbed off the railing that encircled the small platform above the Rivendell gardens.  
"Ah well, I'm going. But if he kills me, you are the one who has to tell father."  
  
He turned and quickly walked across his room, heading for Elladan's chambers at the end of the corridor.  
He heard Elrohir chuckle behind him, and just before he closed the door, he heard his brother call out in a mocking voice: "Just remember, Estel: A dog! A green haired one! Just don't let him latch onto your leg and you should be fine!!"  
  
Scowling darkly, Aragorn decided that Elrohir was enjoying his discomfort far too much.  
'Yes,' he thought to himself, 'I think I will have to teach him a lesson about not laughing at your brother's pain. I wonder if there's any of the calenril left…'  
Entertaining himself with thoughts of how exactly he was going to wipe that smug grin off Elrohir's face, he reached his oldest brother's door.  
  
Raising his hand to knock, he steeled himself and stretched out his other hand to grab the door handle.   
  
  
  
  
Elrond was sitting at a desk in one of the storage rooms he used for stocking various herbs and occupied himself with the tedious task of grounding dried roots into a fine white powder.  
The small room was warmly lit by half a dozen glow lamps, positioned all over the long shelves.  
He preferred to do this on his own; this way he could let his mind wander while doing something useful and make sure at the same time that the powder actually remained in the small stone mortar.  
He had learned that lesson the hard way. The Lord of Rivendell could still remember the day his then very young sons had stood in the door, asking him if they could help, hopeful eyes shining brightly in their identical angelic faces.  
No, he told himself firmly, he would never again allow anyone to touch his herbs unsupervised. At least no one under the age of 3000 years. He could still hear Celebríans laughter when they had entered the room an hour later to find their sons covered from head to toe in white powder – along with everything else within reach of the two young elflings.  
At the thought of his beloved wife, who had passed long ago into the West, his heart clenched in grief. It was truly amazing, he thought bitterly, that even now, after more than 500 years, her passing still felt like a raw wound in his heart, a wound that would never heal until he himself journeyed to the Havens.  
  
His dark thoughts were interrupted when his younger elven son came sauntering into the room, and, with an air of familiarity that spoke volumes for long experience, began to open several wooden cabinets and pull out various supplies.  
Enough supplies, Elrond noted suspiciously, to tend a fair sized army.  
Almost afraid to ask, he cleared his throat, glancing at his son inquiringly.  
  
Elrohir turned, giving his father a lopsided grin while picking up a bunch of dried athelas and an armful of bandages, and tried to stuff them into a bag made of soft grey elven cloth.  
  
"Good evening, father. A rather enjoyable night, is it not?"  
  
Elrond wasn't fooled for a second by his son's display of innocence.  
  
"Dare I ask what these," he pointed to the sack Elrohir was now filling with an assortment of styptic herbs, "are for?"  
  
Elrohir shrugged, closing the sack and turning to leave the room.  
  
"I just noticed that the supplies back in the main room were getting low again and I thought, with Legolas arriving in a week, we probably ought to replenish our stocks. You know how the two young ones are," he said, shaking his dark head in mild disapproval.  
  
"Elrohir…" his father growled quietly as his son turned to leave the room.  
  
The younger elf turned back and shrugged, now grinning broadly.  
  
"You never know what will happen around here, do you? I mean, accidents just happen! Especially here. Especially when Estel's around."  
  
His father raised a dark brow in question.  
  
"I told Estel to go and apologize to Elladan. And considering the looks Elladan has been giving him for the past week, I think it's best to be prepared for all eventualities," Elrohir explained, quickly leaving the room before his father could ask him any more questions.  
  
Elrond let the pestle he had been holding in his hand sink down onto the desk, the mortar sitting forgotten in front of him.  
  
'Estel is apologizing to Elladan … alone? Without a single witness present?' he thought horror-stricken, remembering the look of murder in the eyes of his eldest whenever he saw his young brother.  
  
He sighed deeply and resumed his work, trying very hard not to think of broken bodies or gaping wounds. If he hadn't heard from Estel in two hours, he would organize a search, he decided, his headache returning with a vengeance.  
  
"What have I done to deserve this?" he muttered to himself, not really expecting an answer.  
  
  
  
  
Aragorn was standing in Elladan's room, trying very hard to master his fear.  
All of a sudden, he understood perfectly well why most orcs tended to flee once they saw one of his brothers in full battle-mode.  
'Yes,' he thought, 'suddenly the thought of a nice, dark hole in the ground to hide in seems very appealing to me.'  
  
His eyes fixed firmly on the mantelpiece behind his brother's head, the latter still of a faintly greenish colour, he took a deep breath and, trying to ignore the wicked gleam in his brother's eyes, he launched the speech he had been preparing in his mind for the last few days.  
  
"Elladan, please hear me out, this is very important to me. I am really sorry I dyed your hair. I shouldn't have done it; my behaviour was more than childish and did not enhance the prestige of our House in the slightest. I honestly regret the taunting you had to endure because of my actions, and the fact that I used calenril so that it won't wash out completely for the next few weeks either."  
  
He swallowed nervously, thinking that this wasn't sounding at all the way he had planned. Feeling very much like an insect caught in a spider's web, and a sadistic spider at that, he watched the gleam in Elladan's eyes grow even more wicked, if such a thing was even possible.  
  
Hastily correcting himself, he continued.  
"Uhm, I mean, it was irresponsible of me to dye your hair in the first place. I should never have done that."  
  
Resisting the urge to shift part of the blame on Elrohir, he watched his brother slowly get up from his bed he had been sitting on and added quickly,  
"And I will never do it again, of course. Forgive me."  
  
He opened his mouth to say more, but closed it with an audible snap when he looked his brother in the eye, who had crossed the room and was now standing right in front of him.  
Feeling strong hands grab the front of his worn tunic and very nearly lift him off his feet, he closed his eyes and sent a prayer to the Valar for a quick death.   
When he felt himself still dangling in the air a few heartbeats later, he first opened one, then both eyes to face his elven brother.  
  
"So, little brother," Elladan said in a dangerously low voice, adjusting his grip on Aragorn's shirt slightly, "You think that's enough? That I will just forgive this little … incident? Don't forget, young one," he added, knowing full well how much that term irked the human, "Elves have extremely long memories. We don't forgive easily, and we never forget."  
  
Looking into Aragorn's wide, frightened eyes, he fought very hard to maintain his composure. 'Ah,' he thought, 'just to see him like this has been worth the whole thing.'  
  
Trying to find his voice, Aragorn managed to croak, "Y-You can't kill me, f-father would have your h-hide!"  
  
Grinning evilly and lifting Estel even closer to his face, Elladan replied in a soft voice,  
"Ah, dear brother, but you assume they know where you are. Don't worry. I will make sure they never find your body."  
  
Glancing at the silver eyes which grew even wider at that, he was unable to stifle his laughter, and, letting his brother drop down to the floor, he let his body slide down the wall, laughing helplessly.  
  
Desperately trying to calm his racing heart, Aragorn picked himself up and sat down on Elladan's bed, scowling at his elven brother, who was – literally – rolling on the floor laughing. He ran a slightly shaking hand over his face.  
  
"That was not funny, Elladan! You scared me half to death!!"  
  
"Oh, but it was, little brother!! I would gladly go through the same again if it meant I could see that wide-eyed look on your face once more. I will treasure this moment to the ends of time!" Elladan managed after a few minutes, calming down slightly.  
  
Aragorn looked daggers at his brother, but couldn't quite hide the relief that was showing on his face. "So you're not angry with me?"  
  
Still snickering, Elladan got up a little less graceful than usual and seated himself next to his youngest brother.  
  
"No, little one," he replied, shooting Estel a nasty look, "I am not. But that does not mean," he lifted a finger, which, Aragorn noted, made him look a lot like Elrond, "that I won't retaliate. You should tread very carefully in the near future."  
  
He gave his young human brother a grin, who returned it, eyes laughing.  
  
"But tell me, Estel, how did you come up with this cursed weed? I'd never have remembered it…"  
  
Aragorn drew himself up proudly, giving his elven brother a lopsided grin.  
  
"Ah, my brother, that truly is a long tale. Where should I begin…"  
  
  
  
  
Elrond eyed the door that led to Elladan's chambers suspiciously.  
It had been well over two hours now, and he was beginning to get a little bit worried.  
Not that he really thought Elladan would harm Estel, no, but sometimes it was hard for an elf – and for a furious elf even harder – to remember that humans didn't possess the firstborn's resilience, nor their strength. It was especially hard with Estel, who was, in some aspects, more an elf than a human.  
Elrond shot another glance at the door.  
Shaking his head, the Lord of Imladris finally decided to act.  
Straightening his back and running a hand over his robes, he quickly moved over to the door, knocked and, without waiting to be admitted, entered the room.  
  
Fully expecting to see a battlefield that made Dagorlad pale in comparison, he was more than just a little surprised to see his oldest and youngest son sit peacefully side by side on the floor.  
  
His long legs stretched out before him, Estel was clearly about to finish a lengthy tale.  
  
"…and this, dear brother, is how we got the calenril out of father's storeroom."  
  
Elladan nudged his brother in the ribs, clearing his throat.  
Estel looked up and smiled at his father.  
  
"Good evening, ada! A nice clear night it is, is it not?"  
  
Fighting off the distinct feeling of déjà vu, Elrond decided that he really didn't want to know.  
He looked sternly at his innocently smiling sons and reminded them not to forget that they had to escort Glorfindel to the southern borders of his realm on the next day.  
  
Looking scandalized at the mere thought that they could forget something as important as this, Elladan and Estel assured him that they were aware of that fact, gazing at him innocently.  
  
Elrond shook his head in amusement, and, knowing when to admit defeat, he said, "Very well then. I will not ask what happened, for I do not wish to know. Estel," he turned to his youngest, "you should go to bed. You are still young and need your sleep," he added, a mischievous gleam in his grey eyes.  
  
Estel started to protest, while Elladan tried very hard not to laugh, not too successful one might add.  
  
"But, ada, I…" he started, but closed his mouth, taking a look at his father's stern face.  
  
"Fine then. I don't mind," he grumbled, standing up and leaving the room, scowling at his foster father and brother.  
  
Elrond turned to his snickering eldest, "That goes for you too, young one."  
Taking one last look at his son's stunned face, he turned and walked out of the room, finally allowing the smile he had been stifling all the time to show on his face.  
  
'Ah,' he thought, walking towards his own chambers, 'I will never truly understand them, I fear. Sometimes one could swear that they turn from adults to 6-year-old human children in a matter of seconds!'  
Elrond hastened his steps when a sudden shudder of dread swept through his tall frame, leaving a feeling as if a blanket of darkness had just enveloped his mind. He decided to stop by Elrohir's room, just to make sure his younger elven son was alright.  
He had lived far too long and seen too much to ignore such a warning, unclear as it may be.  
  
  
  
  
The dark-haired elf shifted slightly, trying to find a more comfortable spot in the branches of the tree he had chosen as a vantage point. And it was an excellent choice, he told himself again.  
The tree was situated on top of a small hill, just inside Rivendell territory, and offered a perfect view on the path that led down from the front gates, at least if one possessed elven eyes. If anyone left this way, he would know. He had arrived a few hours earlier, carefully avoiding all posts and sentinels that guarded the entrances to the Last Homely House.  
  
He clutched a dark branch so tightly his knuckles showed white through his pale skin, trying very hard to fend off the overpowering wave of hatred that swept through him. Now that he was so close to his target, he found it nearly impossible to wait. Every single fibre of his being screamed for blood, the blood of the person who had taken away from him what he loved most in all of Arda.  
Pushing his emotions back into the dark corner of his mind where they had been locked up for the past 3000 years, he breathed deeply to calm himself.  
No, he told himself, this way the entire affair would be much more enjoyable. Much more enjoyable.  
Pushing back his quiver, the elf settled down on the branch to wait for the sun to rise over the gorge and herald the beginning of a new day.  
  
  
  
  
Legolas Greenleaf couldn't sleep, a fact that greatly annoyed him. Elves did not have trouble sleeping, he told himself firmly and had to grin, suddenly glad Aragorn wasn't here to witness this. He would tease him mercilessly about him doing things a proper elf shouldn't. Sighing he pushed back his blankets, got up and donned an old tunic. Pushing the embroidered curtains aside that were moving slightly in the night breeze, he stepped onto his balcony that overlooked the palace gardens.  
Legolas took a deep breath of the cold air and tried to calm his troubled mind, pale moonlight highlighting his long, unbraided fair hair and making it gleam like spun silver.  
  
Deciding that he would relax much better in a tree than down here on the balcony, the young elf quickly looked around him and, satisfied that no one else was in sight, jumped lightly into the branches of one of the trees that grew in front of his windows.  
  
Settling himself down comfortably, he allowed his tense muscles to relax and his eyes to become unfocused. If his father caught him here, in a tree in the gardens, clad only in a pair of breeches and an old shirt, he would be in deep trouble. The King of Mirkwood was always adamantly demanding that Legolas behave like the prince he was, which sometimes caused them to clash.  
  
'Well, I will not get caught,' Legolas thought wryly, 'If I get caught in my own gardens, by my own guards, on a tree in front of my own room, I really deserve to be locked away in the dungeons for the next few decades.'  
  
Relaxing into the hold of the tree, he listened to the sounds of the whispering trees, allowing them to lull him to sleep. But just before he could enter the realm of elvish dreams, he jerked wide awake, his eyes opening fully with a start.  
  
There it was again, the feeling of dread that swept over him every time he allowed his consciousness to relax. Sitting up, he rubbed his forehead wearily.  
He just didn't know what this feeling meant, and that alone was enough to drive him insane.  
Pushing these thoughts to the back of his mind, he got up and prepared to return to his rooms.  
Landing lightly on top of the railing, he took one last look at the twinkling stars and made his way back inside.  
  
He dropped down tiredly on top of his bed and decided that worrying about something he couldn't help was not really a wise course of action.  
Allowing his eyes to adopt the glassiness of elven sleep, he tried to get some rest.  
  
'It won't do me any good if I fall asleep on my way to Rivendell tomorrow,' he mused, and with the thought of the twins and his best friend on his mind, Legolas finally drifted off into a world of troubled dreams.  
  
  
  
  
TBC...  
  
  
  
Ada - father (daddy)  
  
  
  
  
Reviews? Yes please!! I'm STILL nervous about it!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Additional A/N:  
  
Elizabeth Goode: Thank you! You are my first reviewer ever!!  
Mercredi: Yes, I do indeed try to follow the tradition of the glorious C&S! I TRY! Thanks so much for your review! And you are right, nobody seems to have trouble telling them apart, well in later chapters there will be more outer ... differences. Just wait... *evil grin*  
Gemstone: Well, updates... I try to post this twice a week, but it depends how much work I have to do for college. I'll try to update every 3 or 4 days though!  
Mbali: I'm sorry it doesn't work with with Wordpad, have you tried downloading Netscape? It's free and doesn't take too long, and once you get to know the Composer, it's working quite well... (*points at bars* I did them myself!! On purpose!!) You are writing a new fic? Oh yes!!! Post it soon! Please!!!  
Reginabean: Thank you for your review! Well, English _isn't_ my first language, and there are lots of mistakes in it ... I'm still trying to find all of them... It's hopeless. *g*  
I'm on your favorites list! Yay! Thanks!!  
Wolfete: And another favorites list!! Thank you! *huggles her* I'm honoured!!  
Ellewyn Greenleaf: *watches Ellewyn the impatient elfling from a safe distance* See? I updated!! As soon as I could, too... We have our finals soon as well, I just try and ignore that fact ... that even works for a while ... *looks at pixie stix* Ahm, well, thank you, I guess? Just what I wanted! *g*  
Hwoarang Girl: Thanks so much for your kind words! *hugs her* Yes, family life is _always_ hectic, I don't think it matters whether you have two elven brothers or an older brother and a younger sister like me - it's hell! Sometimes, at least... *g* I was really nervous about writing Glorfindel, he is so wise and old and ... well, reborn! He won't be there for the whole story, I'm afraid!  
Elfchic02: Well, I _hope_ it's gonna be good! Thanks for your review!  
Vana Burke: *pats her back* But of course I will continue! I'm not that evil... *g* You added me to your favorites list!! Thanks so much!! And yes, sometimes siblings can be hazardous to your health, I can still remember the day I poured a bottle of glue over my brother's head ... He almost killed me - literally!  
Sailor Gaia: I'm glad you liked it! I was laughing quite hard when I was writing that bit, myself... *g*  
Faith: Don't worry, the fair prince of Mirkwood will have his fair share of appearances in the future, especially once he manages to get to Rivendell ... I mean, IF he manages to get to Rivendell... *evil grin*  
Calcus Angel: Yeah, green hair is something new, isn't it? I hope you'll like the rest as well!  
Carrie-n-Emmithar, wait, that's just Carrie, isn't it?: Wow! Thanks for reviewing! I just love your stories!! And thanks for stopping Elladan from killing himself, it's always sooo annoying when he does that... *sigh* And I'm sorry, I don't think I can tell you why the elf wants to hurt your fav elfses and Aragorn. It would spoil the surprise just a bit, don't you think? *g*  
Slea: Hope this is soon enough? I'm not C&S, unfortunately, so I won't update every other day, but I think twice a week should be doable... I'm glad you liked the first bit! And you added me to your favorites!! Thanks!! *hugs her*  
Halo: Halo, Halo, Halo, how many times have I told you: Don't zap my characters unless you have absolutely no other choice? They will get some kind of brain damage or something ... just think of what happened to Éomer!! We zapped him _way_ too many times!!  
ThE iNsAnE oNe: *looks at your dangerous dog* Well ... I have updated!! Don't tell it to attack me, please!! Have mercy!! LOL. I know this kind of dog, I have one myself; they are _very_ dangerous... Yes, I think Elladan is not too happy with you right now...and can you blame him? *evil laughter* Thanks for adding me to your favorites list!! *hugs her*  
Freakizimi: Thanks a lot for the compliment! I think I'm so afraid to misspell something or use the wrong tense that I read it over and over again until I have found most of the mistakes... But somehow there are always _some_ *glares darkly at them* I miss...  
CalliTrakand: *blushes* Oww, you are too kind... But thanks!! I try to write as detailed as possible, I'm glad someone noticed... *g*  
Lina: *looks at the happy dancers* Well ... this is the strangest party I have ever seen!! Including that christmas party two years ago, and _that_ means something... *g* *hugs Lina* I could never forget you!! NEVER!! How? Who else is even more concerned about my baby's safety than me? And it's not Nólad who is angry, well, perhaps a bit, but he's not really evil. The other elf is, though...Quite evil... *evil grin*  
Echo_sackett: Thanks for the review!! I hope you'll enjoy the rest as well!  
Zam: Oww, the orc horde remembered to send their greetings? That's so sweet... *sniff* I hope they like it too!! I'm really happy _you_ like it though, and you've even added me to your favorites! Thanks!! *huggles her and gets dragged off by Snikdûl when she won't let go* Thank you!!  
  
Thank you sooooooo much for all your lovely reviews!! I've printed all of them and plan to use them as my new wallpaper... 


	3. Finding Trouble

**Disclaimer:** For full disclaimer, please see chapter 1.  
  
  
**A/N: Well, let me seize this opportunity to express my total and absolute HATE for FF.net! *tries to strangle the computer*  
It has deleted my story and is still refusing to let me replace the text version of chapter 2 with a much, much nicer html version!! I just don't understand ... it hates me ... what have I done ... *starts crying*  
  
And all the great reviews are GONE!! Irreplacable documents - lost!! *wails* 'Tis truly a black day, my friends...  
But thank you very much for all the lovely reviews I got, even if you can't see them anymore. *tries to smile bravely*  
  
For those of you who wondered: No, the plant Aragorn used to dye Elladan's hair is not real. I just took the Sindarin words for "green" and "brilliance of" and built a new word, which should mean "brilliant green", and voilà, calenril was born! *g*  
  
Anyway, here is chapter 3, and, finally, some action!! *rubs hands*  
  
I think this would be the perfect time to annouce that you are about to read my first cliffhanger ever! No need to thank me!! I'm very proud... *looks at angrily advancing readers* Well, uhm, I gotta go now, I've heard Antarctica is very nice this time of year... *runs off*  
  
  
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Chapter 3  
  
  
Aragorn stood in the middle of his room in front of his door, shooting it suspicious looks. It looked like a perfectly normal door on a perfectly normal sunny morning – but the young ranger knew better than that. At least he thought he did.   
  
He had been ready to leave for a while now. He had dressed in his beloved worn leather overcoat, and armed himself with his bow and sword – his ranger outfit, as his brothers called it. Aragorn shot the door one last irritated look. If he wanted to get some breakfast before he, Glorfindel and the twins had to leave, he would have to get moving now.   
Sighing he turned and went over to the balcony, careful to examine his surroundings for possibly hidden traps. Silently cursing Elladan and his vague threats, he climbed on top of the carved railing, and moved, carefully balancing his weight, to the right and the very end of the balustrade.   
  
Mentally calculating the distance he would have to cross, he jumped down carefully, landing sure-footed on the balcony next to his with a soft thud.  
  
He brushed himself off and quickly made his way inside, asking himself why even his brothers seemed to be so intent on making his life miserable.  
'It's probably my charming personality,' he decided with an inward grin just as he reached the stairs that led down to the hall.  
  
Rushing down the stone steps, he greeted the elves present and, after sniffing it suspiciously, began wolfing down his food.   
  
Elladan and Elrohir arrived only moments later, both fully dressed and prepared to leave.  
  
"Good morning, Estel! Did you sleep well?" Elladan asked, grinning slightly.  
  
Aragorn shot him a venomous look and continued eating.  
  
"You know, I could swear I saw someone jump from balcony to balcony a bit earlier," Elrohir added thoughtfully.   
"Weird, I know, who would do such a thing?"  
  
Blushing slightly, Estel tried to ignore his teasing brothers and come up with a witty reply at the same time, but his father chose just this moment to enter the hall, Glorfindel, who had exchanged his precious robes for a more convenient attire, right on his heels.  
Motioning those present to keep their seats, Elrond studied the scene in front of him and turned to Estel and his twin sons.  
  
"Good morning, my sons, are you ready to leave? Estel, what took you so long?"  
  
Disregarding his snickering brothers, Aragorn swallowed the last of his hurried breakfast, slipped an apple into one of his pockets and rose from the table.  
  
"Good morning, _ada_. I'm ready to leave now, just give me a moment to prepare my horse," he told his elven father and added, shooting his brothers a dark look, "I was delayed this morning; I met with some … unexpected obstacles."  
  
Elrond watched as the young human left the hall, closely followed by the broadly grinning twins. He turned and gave Glorfindel a warning glare. "I will not ask. This is by far the best course of action, believe me. I just don't want to know."  
  
Gazing at him seriously, the golden haired elf replied, "A very wise decision, my lord."  
  
Resisting the urge to slap the other Elf Lord, Elrond turned and made his way slowly out of the hall to the stables.  
  
"So you have got all the letters I entrusted you with? Some of them are quite important and they need to reach their destinations as quickly as possible," he asked his advisor and nodded to a servant who was fastening new metal fittings on the front doors.  
  
Glorfindel quickened his pace slightly to catch up with his friend.  
  
"Of course. Do not worry, Asfaloth and I will see to it that they arrive safely and in time."  
  
Nodding distractedly, Elrond walked down the steps, heading for the stables where his sons were already mounting their horses, bickering among themselves.   
  
"Good. Good," he murmured, not looking at his fair haired friend.  
A moment later he felt a slim hand on his arm that halted his progress rather abruptly, and looked up to see Glorfindel's worried face.  
  
"Elrond? What is wrong with you? You've been quiet and rather subdued for the past week," he asked, studying the dark haired elf's face closely.  
"What is it? Have you foreseen something?"  
  
The Lord of Imladris shook his head slightly and smiled at his friend.  
"Ah, you know me far too well, _mellonamin_. But to answer your question: No, I did not foresee anything. At least," he added, seeing the disbelieving look on the other elf's face, "nothing specific. It is more like … something dark growing in my mind. Whether it is a fear or a premonition, I cannot tell."  
  
Glorfindel nodded. "I will stay."  
  
"No," Elrond shook his head adamantly, "As I said, some of these letters are important, and I would want them to reach the Lady Galadriel and the others as quickly as possible. It is nothing more than a vague foreboding anyway. You have to leave."  
  
Sensing that his friend's mind what set on this, Glorfindel nodded reluctantly.  
"Very well then. But if something happens, don't say I didn't warn you," he said smugly, trying to lighten the mood.   
"Besides," he added as an afterthought, "I really do not want to be present when Prince Legolas arrives in less than a week and he, Estel and the twins renew their attempts to ruin this fair house. Alas!" he cried, eyes laughing, and surveyed his surroundings, "I will miss it!"  
  
Elrond smiled and rolled his eyes. "Just how long were you staying in Lothlórien again, my friend?" he asked in a mocking voice and started to walk towards the horses once more.   
  
The twins were still whispering quietly among themselves, while Aragorn had been watching his father and Glorfindel, his forehead wrinkled slightly in confusion and concern, having witnessed the last scene.  
  
"I can't believe he really jumped rather than try the door!" Elladan snickered, shaking his head.  
  
"Well, can you really blame him, brother?" Elrohir grinned and patted his horse's neck reassuringly.  
  
Their soft conversation was interrupted when the two Elf Lords arrived and Glorfindel mounted Asfaloth, taking the reigns from a stable hand.  
  
Aragorn studied his father's face concerned.  
  
"Are you alright, _ada_? You looked worried."  
  
Elrond looked at his youngest son lovingly.   
  
"Yes, Estel, I am fine. Just be careful. The times grow dark and more and more foul things roam these lands, even in the daytime."  
Gracing all of his sons with a stern look, he added, "That goes for all of you. Please do not take any unnecessary risks, and, for once, at least try to avoid trouble!"  
  
Smiling innocently at his father, Elladan took up his reigns.  
"Why, _ada_, of course we will be careful! We always are!"  
  
"Yes," Elrohir nodded, manoeuvring his horse alongside his twin's, "It is not our fault that trouble always seems to find Estel."  
  
"Me? Need I remind you of the time you decided that hunting that band of orcs was a brilliant idea and…"  
  
"Excuse me? I would like to reach Lórien before the cold weather sets in and blocks the Redhorn Pass, if possible," Glorfindel interrupted the brothers, winking at Elrond, who had grasped his friend's hand.  
  
"Namárië, _mellonamin_, may Elbereth watch over you."  
  
"I think you will need her grace more than I do, my friend. Namárië," the fair haired elf replied smiling and, without spurring his horse on in the slightest, he and Asfaloth were gone, leaving the main gates behind in an instant.   
  
Intent to catch up, the brothers urged their horses forward.  
"Do not worry, _ada_, nothing will happen. We will be back by nightfall!" Aragorn called out over his shoulder, crossing the gates and disappearing out of his father's line of sight.  
  
Elrond remained where he stood, gazing after them.  
  
'Oh, I do not doubt that. It is the condition you will be in that worries me,' the Lord of Rivendell thought with a frown and, with his robes swishing softly behind him, he returned to the main house to attend to his daily duties.  
  
  
  
  
'This is going to be a long journey,' Legolas thought despairingly at the same time as they left the palace gates behind, causing guards to stand at attention at their passing.  
With a mental sigh he let his gaze wander over his travelling companions, on which his father had insisted after his last near-fatal journey to the neighbouring Elven kingdom.   
Legolas smiled slightly when he remembered the argument he had had with his father about this subject.  
  
_  
"Absolutely not, my son. If I let you journey to the Mountains alone, I will tempt fate to put any obstacle in your way possibly imaginable to elf, man, dwarf or other. Have you already forgotten what happened the last time you insisted that 'Nothing will happen, ada, I will be just fine'?"  
  
Legolas sighed at his father's words , brushing back a strand of fair hair that had somehow escaped the braids and kept falling into his eyes, "It was not my fault that stupid spider's nest decided to drop down right in front of me! Normally they stay in the treetops, where they belong! Besides, nothing serious happened to me anyway."  
  
Thranduil arched a fair eyebrow.  
  
"Nothing serious? I seem to remember a certain delirious young elf who dragged himself back to the palace and had to spend quite a long time in bed because, unsurprisingly, he had been bitten and poisoned!"  
  
Legolas cast down his eyes and mumbled, "Funny, I cannot remember that part."  
  
Thranduil smiled wryly.  
  
"I thought as much."   
  
He eyed his only son compassionately; everybody knew how much Legolas hated it when people made a fuss about him.  
  
"Very well, Legolas. If you take Glónduil and Celylith with you, I shall be content. They can return and re-join their guard once you have arrived safely in Rivendell."  
  
Legolas lifted his head, a hopeful sparkle in his silver-blue eyes.  
"They can escort me to the High Pass, this way they wouldn't have to cross the Mountains. You never know what the weather will be like this time of year. It would be really unfair to have them cross the Misty Mountains twice in less than two weeks just because of me."  
  
The King of Mirkwood gazed into his son's determined eyes and relented with a sigh.  
"Alright, they may escort you to the Pass. But promise me you will be careful!"  
  
Legolas jumped up, relief shining in his eyes, "Of course I will, father. When have I ever not been careful?"  
  
Thranduil looked at his son incredulously and decided that this was probably supposed to be a rhetorical question and best left unanswered.  
  
"Be off, then. Please deliver my letter to Lord Elrond and give him and his sons my best regards. And do not forget to stress how very grateful I am to him for allowing the four of you to have this little reunion in his house, not in mine. This palace couldn't survive another visit of all three sons of Elrond!" Legolas' father announced, smiling ironically.  
Turning serious, he added, "May the Valar watch over you, my son."  
  
"I will. Thank you, ada," Legolas hugged his father and left the room smiling happily, his thoughts already on the road that would take him to his friends.  
  
_  
Well, he decided, coming back to the present, it was a lot better than having to endure the two other elves for more than a week. He would manage for a few days.   
'But it was not always so,' he thought wistfully, looking at his companions, who flanked him left and right.   
  
Actually, he, Glónduil and Celylith had been friends ever since they had been elflings intent on escaping their nursemaids as often and as long as possible. Until they had joined the warrior training, and even after that, they had been inseparable, their silver, blonde and dark heads always thinking of new ways to pull a prank on one or more of the unlucky inhabitants of Mirkwood.  
  
'Well,' Legolas mused sadly, 'that was until I decided that befriending a human was not beneath me. Celylith is not that bad, he even seems to like Strider, but Glónduil…'  
  
He took a good look at his friends' faces, and, sure enough, at least Glónduil seemed extraordinary unhappy about having to escort Legolas so he could visit his human friend.   
  
He returned his gaze to the forest road in front of him.  
  
'Yes,' he thought wryly, 'This is going to be a very long journey indeed.'   
  
  
  
The dark haired elf once again found his right hand reaching for his quiver. Silently cursing his lack of restraint, he pulled the errant limb back.  
It would be so easy now, he reflected bitterly. All he had to do was wait for them to catch up a bit and then…  
He shook his head firmly. No, he told himself, we wouldn't want to spoil the surprise for the mighty elf lord, would we? Smiling grimly, he once again started moving to stay slightly ahead of his quarry.  
  
He had been following the three elves and the young human for the entire day, always careful to stay just out of reach of their senses. They had chosen a road that took them almost directly to the south, the golden haired elf in front and the three dark headed beings somewhat behind him, all of them talking merrily to each other.  
  
From what he gathered, the three dark ones were indeed the sons of Elrond, even the human, which still surprised the listening elf, even though he had known for nearly a year now that the Lord of Rivendell had accepted an _edan_ as his son.   
  
'And that,' he mused while he moved through the treetops with ease, trying to find a good spot to wait for the following brothers to catch up with him, 'Is exactly why I'm here today.'  
  
Finally finding a favourable place in the higher branches of a big oak tree, he settled down to await the trio's arrival, but stiffened suddenly when he felt a clearly evil presence draw nearer to his hiding spot.  
  
He jumped down into the lower branches to try and get a look at what was causing this feeling, and smiled evilly when he saw the beings that had caused his senses to scream at him in warning.   
  
'Yes,' he thought as he followed the creatures into the direction he knew the elves and the human to be, 'This should be amusing. I just hope they don't rob me of my chance to kill them myself.'  
  
He hurried his steps and moved as effortlessly and silently through the colourful trees as the beings did on the forest floor, now closing in on what they had identified as worthwhile prey.  
  
  
  
  
Aragorn was enjoying this little trip immensely.  
  
They had parted with Glorfindel over two hours ago, who has taken his leave looking strangely relieved, mumbling – according to Elladan and Elrohir – under his breath curious things like "Finally", "Peace and quiet", and "Thank the Valar". He hadn't looked too unhappy to lose their company, and he and Asfaloth had quickly disappeared down the road leading to the south, while the brothers had turned their horses around to travel back home.  
  
'Thinking about it,' Aragorn decided with a wry grin, 'I think even Asfaloth looked quite happy to get rid of us.'  
  
About an hour ago Elladan had decided to retell the tale of how Elrohir had managed to set fire to their father's library when they had been a mere 150 years of age, much to the delight of his young human brother.  
Of course, Elrohir had seen it necessary to defend his honour, and so the twins had spent the last hour or so recounting various mishaps and near-catastrophes they had been involved in during their long lifetime. And there were a lot of them.  
  
Elladan was just about to launch a new story involving his elven brother, Glorfindel's robes and an ensuing near-death experience, when he and Elrohir suddenly stopped their horses and began to watch their surroundings anxiously.  
  
Aragorn frowned and had just opened his mouth to ask them what was wrong, when he felt something wash over his senses like a tidal wave: A presence of pure evil seemed to close in on them, seemingly blocking out the sun and causing a sudden drop in temperature to freezing levels.  
He suppressed a shudder. Something big and evil was coming their way, and by the feel of it, a lot of somethings.  
  
His brothers obviously agreed with his assessments.   
  
"Wargs," Elladan said quietly, bringing his horse closer to his brothers' and drawing his sword, "Whether they travel with orcs, I cannot…"  
  
"Look out!" Elrohir screamed and, faster than the eye could see, he reached for one of his knifes and let it fly inches past his brother's head, where it burrowed itself in the throat of a warg that had chosen just this moment to jump at the dark haired elf, intent to throw him off his horse.  
  
Unfortunately it didn't stop the foul creature's momentum, and the heavy body landed on top of Elladan, knocking him right out of his saddle and into Aragorn, who had not enough time to react and landed on the ground along with his brother with a dull thud a moment later. Scrambling to his feet and shaking his head to clear his suddenly blurry vision, the young ranger tried to comprehend what had just happened, but his musings were cut short when he saw two giant wolf-like creatures close in on him, baring their teeth and snarling dangerously. He had just enough time to draw his sword before the first one was on top of him, trying to get to his unprotected throat.   
  
The two riderless horses bolted and tried to escape the melee, which just added to the complete confusion of the moment. Elladan dispatched another warg, trying to free his sword of the body as quickly as possible, and used a sudden lull in the fighting to survey the scene.   
  
Elrohir was still on top of his horse, which snorted in barely suppressed panic. His blade dripped with the dark blood of the creatures careless enough to come within his reach.  
Estel was standing with his back to a large tree defending himself against three wargs, sword moving with lightening speed and silver eyes blazing defiantly.  
  
Deciding that his human brother needed his aid more than Elrohir, he began to fight his way through the snarling bodies of the wolf-like creatures to his brother's side, constantly dancing out of reach of their claws and teeth.  
Thrusting his sword deeply into the chest of an attacking warg, Elladan risked a quick glance in the direction of his elven brother, who was busy fending off two wargs which were jumping back and forth snarling viciously, nabbing at the horse's legs. Something about this behaviour was very unusual, Elladan thought frowning. Scanning the immediate vicinity, his eyes widened in shock when he noticed a third warg which had taken advantage of Elrohir's momentary distraction and was sneaking up on him, getting ready to pounce.  
  
"Elrohir!! Behind you!!"  
  
Elrohir had just enough time to twist his body to the side and bring his sword up in front of his face before the big creature jumped, impaling itself on his sword with a yelp and very nearly unseating the elf.  
  
The moment of distraction cost Elladan dearly. Still staring in relief at his brother who had jumped off his now clearly panicking horse and joined the fight, he had only a heartbeat's warning before he felt a heavy weight slam into his back, knocking him to the ground.   
  
He desperately tried to twist his body around, but to no avail: He was pinned under the spitting animal as tightly as a bookmark in one of his father's volumes. He increased his struggles when he heard two more wargs close in on him.  
Trying to ignore the body of the warg on his back that was scratching at his clothing and trying to get close enough to his neck to fasten onto his throat, he rolled over bit by bit, gripping his blade tightly in his hand and trying to get a look at the other two creatures that he knew nearby.  
  
  
Aragorn stifled a scream when he felt the sharp teeth of a warg tear through his tunic and burrow in his left side, drawing blood. Tugging at his sword which refused to move from where it was imbedded between the ribs of a dead warg, he drew his last elven dagger with his left and thrust it with all his might into one of the little red eyes that twinkled madly, seemingly taking delight in his pain.   
Howling with agony, the beast let go of the human and collapsed a few feet from him, limbs twitching spasmodically.  
  
Forcefully freeing his sword, Aragorn readied himself to face another attacker – only to see Elrohir kill the last of the wargs with a forceful stroke of his sword that stopped the snarling beast at full speed.  
He leaned against the trunk he had been using as a shield and winced when his hand touched his throbbing wound.  
Opening eyes he hadn't even realized he had closed, he smiled at Elrohir who came over to him, bleeding from a nasty scratch on his cheek where the animal's paws that had nearly thrown him off his horse had grazed him, checking warg bodies for signs of life on his way, and answered the unspoken question he could see in his elven brother's eyes.  
  
"I'm fine. It's just a scratch."  
  
He drew in his breath sharply when he and Elrohir realized the same thing at once.  
  
"Where is Elladan?"  
  
"Have you seen Elladan?"  
  
Looking at his brother with wide eyes, Aragorn pushed himself back onto his feet and began to scan the surrounding carnage for sign of his oldest brother. Nearly frantic with worry, he didn't even hear Elrohir call out his twin brother's name in an increasingly panic-stricken voice.  
  
When he was just turning over a body with the tip of his sword, grimacing when he saw the razor-sharp teeth, he heard Elrohir's horrified gasp.  
  
"O Elbereth, no!! Elladan, brother, don't do this to me!"  
  
Turning as quickly as he could in the direction of Elrohir's voice and at the same time dreading what he would see, he looked at his elven brother, who was rushing up to the piled bodies of three wargs at the far side of the clearing.   
  
Aragorn squinted in the slowly dimming light and tried to see what had caused Elrohir such dismay.   
Suddenly the trees seemed to blend together into a formless mass of red, yellow and brown, and all he could see with unnatural clarity was the pale, bloodied hand of his oldest brother that was almost buried beneath the corpses of the wolf-like creatures.  
  
"Valar save us! Elladan!" he breathed tonelessly.  
  
  
  
  
  


**TBC...**  
  
  
  


_Ada - father (daddy)  
__edan - human, man (sg.)  
mellonamin -__my friend_  
  
  
  
  
**Since all the reviews have been deleted *gives FF.net Evil Glare of Death*, I need more!! A lot more!! Please let me know what you think, I'm quite nervous about the action scenes, it took me ages to write them!! Please?? Please Please Please???**  
  
  
  


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**Additional A/N:  
  
**Forest Elfin - Don't let Elladan hear you say that!! *looks around suspiciously* He is NOT happy about his hair, believe me... The next chapter's up, here you go! *g*  
( ) - Well, that's a nice name! Saves a lot of time, I guess... *g* Thanks a lot for reviewing, it means a lot to me! Since it's my first story ever, I'm dying to hear what people have to say about it...  
Jenny - Thank you soooooo very much!! I mean, I know I don't deserve being compared with the divine C&S, but, well, thanks!! I'm really glad you like it so far, and don't worry, I try to update frequently! Not every other day, but at least twice a week, so every three ot four days.  
Sailor Gaia - *hides behind her pet balrog* Uhm, you like it when nobody gets hurt? Well, then, uhm, forget what you've just read, okay?  _ Technically_ speaking, Elladan is not really a main character, is he? And Estel's wound is not life-threatening, so... *evil grin* And thanks a lot for the compliments, I love writing the Rivendell elves and Estel; I'm always kind of nervous when I have to write Legolas... He is a bit more complicated... Well, don't worry, there will be a few more "quiet" chapters, they have to get some rest sometime! Especially when you consider what I have in store for them next... *evil cackle*  
Zam: Zam, haven't I told you before, keep your orc horde out of my story!!?? I mean, really, you can't keep running around cutting down trees and kidnapping the Prince of Mirkwood and stuff... *takes Urkwûsh and Zam* Out!! Out out out! And if you cut down one more tree, I swear I will.... *mumbles threats under her breath*  
And thank you for reviewing twice! So there are at least a few reviews, thanks a lot... *huggles Zam and Urkwûsh* Thank you! I know you will find out who is behind this new devilry... Just don't let Éomer help you, he is a bit ... slow ... *g*  
Lina: *laughs* Your mental picture is very ... interesting, to say the least... I can just imagine them doing that, especially Elrond (Mr. I-just-don't-want-to-know)... *g*  
*tries to escape Lina* I'm sorry, but I can't tell you!! I'm sorry, really!! Éomer, don't make me zap you! No, I won't tell "Lady Lina Skye", and no, I cannot promise you that her baby won't be hurt, in fact, he already is...Éomer, don't do this, you will regret it... Éomer... *zaps him* Sorry, Lina, but NO. And thanks for the happy dancers, but could you tell them to leave? My mother is always giving me these weird looks, and, frankly, it's beginning to annoy me... *g*  
ThE iNsAnE oNe - Sounds as if our dogs are very much alike... Mine wouldn't harm a fly, but when she sees something to eat ... wow! She can be real scary, then... *g* *hides behind pet balrog Stan* Argh! A warg named Fred? Well, you DID see what my friends *points at Elrohir and Aragorn* did to the others, did you? Don't hit Legolas! He will be in enough trouble soon! Not the kind Elladan or the others are in, but hey! Trouble comes in many forms... *g*  
Thanks for reviewing twice! I was sooo happy when I saw your second review, really! And I'm writing as fast as I can, don't send Fred after me, please... *g*  
Rachel - Thank you! *huggles her* I'm glad you like it! And I think PG-13 is okay, but if you think it should be anything else, tell me! It's not getting much worse than this ... Well, maybe a bit ... Okay, quite a bit ... Fine, a lot ... *g*  
Christy - I will keep going! I tried to ignore the plot bunnies for a while, without success, so I will finish this - one way or the other! *g* Thanks for reviewing!!  
Lotrmatrixstarwarsfan - Wow, that's quite a name you have here!! Well, you do have good taste, I love all of the movies and/or books! And Elladan is not finished yet, he will have a bit of fun with Estel in the future... *evil grin* Thanks a lot for the review!  
Just Jill - *pouts* Oww, you don't like Elladan's hair? Well, he didn't like it too much either, so that's okay, I guess... *g* I try to update twice a week, but there's still college and stuff...  
Alia - I'm glad you like the hair! Even though Elladan might disagree... *evil grin* And a furious Elf Lord - even a relatively young one like Elladan - can be quite scary ... Thanks for the review!!  
Antigone - *blushes slightly* Thanks for the compliment! I try to do my best, and the tension will keep building, I'm afraid... I'm just starting chapter 6, and there it's starting to get really interesting, I think... *g*  
MegumiFuu - *stares wide-eyed* There are bits where verb tensions changed? OMG, I will find them!! It's fine if I use a word in the wrong context or if it's sounding awkward or something, but changing verb tenses?? My old English teacher would sooooo kill me if he knew... Excuse me! *runs off to find the mistakes* Oh, but thanks for the review! It means a lot to me! *muttering under her breath* Changing verb tenses, WAIT till I find you, you stupid little words... *g*  
Mouse - *bows low* Thanks you very much! I don't like slash either, I mean, if you like it, fine, I just don't.. (What kind of sentence was THAT? *g*) I'm working on bringing Legolas into the whole thing a bit more, but I find him hard to write, somehow... Well, once he gets to Rivendell, it should be easier. IF he gets there... *evil cackle*  
Alaskantiger - I'm writing as fast as I can! I will update every three or four days, I think, depends on how much I have to do for college, and since there's a LOT to do right now ... But don't worry, I have already finished a few more chapters, so I will be able to post even if I don't have time to write more - clever, isn't it? *g*  
Vana Burke: Well, no problem, I guess. *g* It was more or less a coincidence that I put it at the end, I just figured that it would take too much space. And I'm not too fond of it either, all you want to do is read the fic and then there's is this monster header... *g*  
Halo: Hah, elven curses are nothing, wait till you've heard Legolas' dwarven curses! They are amazing!! *evil grin* Thanks so much for reviewing! I almost thought you'd forgotten all about me! *sniff* But now I'm happy again!! *does a little happy dance* See? Stop zapping the Eye Of Sauron! I mean, really, the guy's lost his favourite ring and then you go and zap his eye? That's not fair! Poor Sauron, uhm, I mean Saurbob! *grins at Zam* Thanks for pummeling FF.net! *big grin*  
  


**A huge thanks to all my reviewers! You really make me write faster! You and the fact that the rabid plot bunny won't leave me alone... *g***  


  
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	4. Hidden Wounds

**Disclaimer:** For full disclaimer, please see chapter 1.  
  
  
**A/N:  
  
*whispers* Shhh, I shouldn't even BE here ... I have so much work to do for college right now that I should be studying instead of writing this "weird story", as my mother so eloquently put it ... What the heck, it's only college... *g*  
  
*shoots FF.net suspicious looks* Still here? It has not been deleted? Well, we'll see how long that lasts... *dark look*  
  
Well, here is chapter 4, I did the best I could with the 'medical' scenes, the problem is, I have never been injured worse than a broken finger, which is nothing in comparison to three wargs on top of you! At least I think so ... *g*  
  
I will try and update again on Saturday or Sunday, althought I don't think I will have much time till February 15th, that's when our term ends.  
But reviews MIGHT help. If I get a lot of reviews, I will post faster, they tend to motivate me - a lot. *g*   
(Yes, I KNOW this is blackmail! *evil grin*)  
  
  
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Chapter 4  
  
  
Aragorn didn't know how long he had been standing thus. To him, it seemed like hours, while in truth probably only a few seconds had gone by. Finally, the world seemed to speed up again to its usual pace, bringing the young ranger out of the numbness that had gripped his body and mind.  
Willing his shaking legs to obey him, he raced across the clearing and fell to his knees alongside Elrohir, who was frantically trying to push the heavy bodies of the wargs aside to free his twin.  
  
In a combined effort, they were finally able to drag the corpses to the side, exposing Elladan's body. The older twin was lying on his left side, his left arm trapped under his body, his right stretched out close to his bloodstained sword.   
Deep gashes where the claws of a warg had scratched him ran over his back, deep purple blood slowly oozing from them, colouring his light shirt a horrible crimson.  
All over his upper body the two brothers could see marks where the claws and teeth of the beasts had bit into Elladan's flesh, leaving bleeding wounds that seemed to cover every visible inch of his body.  
A set of scratches or bites decorated his throat, emphasizing the unnatural paleness of his face and the blackness of the eyelashes against the tightly closed eyelids.   
  
Elrohir was the first one to react. With a cry of dismay he gathered the limp form of his twin in his arms, bedding Elladan's head on his chest, stroking his hair gently and muttering softly to him in Elvish, telling him over and over again that everything would be alright.  
  
His mind spinning sickeningly, Aragorn tried to figure out what to do. These scratches were ugly, and a lot were very deep, but on their own they were not serious enough to really harm an elf. The thing that really bothered him was poisoning from the wargs' dirty claws and teeth. Grimacing he looked Elladan over; there was also a good amount of warg blood on him.   
  
'Not good. Not good at all,' he thought wincing inwardly, scrambling to his feet as fast as the wound in his side would allow.  
  
Pushing the pain aside and carefully stepping over the scattered bodies of dead wargs, he made his way over to Elrohir's horse which was still standing at the other side of the clearing, snorting softly and looking at the approaching human with big, reproachful eyes.  
The young ranger reached out and patted the horse's neck softly, speaking in Elvish to calm the frightened animal. Satisfied it would not try and lash out at him, he opened the leather saddle bags and searched them frantically for the medical supplies he hoped Elrohir had remembered to pack earlier this morning.  
  
'Was it really this morning? It feels like a lifetime,' Estel mused just as his fingers found a grey sack and yanked it out so hard that the rest of the supplies landed on the forest floor in a heap.  
  
Quickly opening the bag, he scanned its contents and breathed a silent thanks to Elbereth when he saw the assortment of herbs and bandages that someone – probably Elrohir, a small part of his mind noted – had stuffed into it rather carelessly.  
  
He gripped the bag tightly with both hands and positively flew across the clearing to the side of his brothers, neither of which had moved since he had left them.   
  
Aragorn took one look at Elrohir's face and decided that the younger twin probably was in no condition to think clearly right now.  
Crouching down behind his elven brother, he placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Elrohir? Elrohir, we need to get him away from here, we cannot tend properly to his wounds in this place. I seem to remember a smaller clearing before this one just a few minutes away, can you carry him there?"  
  
There was no sign that Elrohir had heard his word, he just kept whispering meaningless elvish words of comfort to his twin.   
Shaking Elrohir's shoulder slightly, Aragorn switched his speech to Elvish, repeating himself.  
  
"Elrohir, you must listen to me! Elladan will be fine, we just need to clean his wounds and get him to father as quickly as possible! Can you carry him to the clearing or not?! Answer me!!"  
  
When he heard Aragorn's sharp voice, Elrohir seemed to regain some of his usual composure. Turning his tearstained face towards that of his human brother, he nodded firmly, clutching Elladan's body even tighter to his chest.  
  
"I can, Estel," he stated, his voice shaking just a little.  
  
The human smiled as encouragingly as he could at his older brother, and, after giving Elrohir's shoulder another comforting squeeze, he got up and looked for the way they had come.  
Pointing it out to his elven brother, who was standing up now, the seemingly lifeless body of his twin in his arms, he told him quickly,  
  
"I will get our weapons. There have to be at least five daggers here somewhere and we might need them. I will follow as quickly as I can."   
  
Nodding, Elrohir began to pick his way through the chaos on the clearing, passing his horse and ordering it softly to follow him, which it did, looking very happy to escape from the field of battle.  
Estel looked into the direction his brothers had just disappeared in and shook his head as if to chase away the dark memories of Elladan's bloody wounds that still played back time and again in front of his eyes.  
  
'He will be alright. Father will be able to help him. No problem. He will be alright,' he kept repeating in his head, like a mantra to keep him from going insane with worry, while he wandered from body to body, collecting the weapons they had abandoned during the fight.  
  
Wrenching the last dagger from the corpse of an especially big warg, he turned to follow his brothers, when a sudden feeling of unease swept over his senses. Putting one bloody hand to the hilt of his sword, he scanned the silent woods around him for any sign of danger. It almost felt as if something … hostile … was watching his every move, biding its time to act.  
  
When the young ranger could see nothing out of the ordinary, he shrugged slightly and began moving down the path his brother had taken a few minutes earlier. He was probably just nervous and exhausted, he decided and, trying to ignore the discomfort his side was causing him, quickened his pace to catch up with his brothers.   
  
  
  
  
The elf who had watched the whole fight with a keen interest relaxed a bit and lowered the bow that had been pointed unwaveringly at the human for the past minutes.  
Slipping the arrow back into his quiver and sitting down on the branch, he cursed himself again for his carelessness. He should never have followed the wargs as far as he had, he should have known they would spot him or at the very least sense his presence.  
  
'The only thing,' he mused darkly, 'that has saved me from detection is the fact that one of them was wounded. If his brother hadn't been so worried, he would have discovered my presence long ago.'  
  
But that the human had very nearly caught him was a bit of a surprise for the dark haired elf.   
For one long moment he had really thought the human had made out his hiding spot in one of the treetop, his silver eyes seemingly piercing the reddish foliage he had used for cover.  
  
That one was extremely resourceful and observant for an _edan_, he had already seen that much during the fight. He was happy the boy hadn't discovered him; it would have been a shame if he would have had to kill him like that, he mused.   
He truly holds the potential for a lot of more … interesting things, he thought, smiling darkly and trying to decide what to do now.  
  
There was no real reason to follow them now, he knew where they were going and all he had wanted to learn about them he had found out during the fight and its aftermath.  
'No,' he decided, 'I will return to the woods surrounding Imladris and try and gather as much information as possible until it is time for me to meet with Nólad and the others. The way I see it, the sons of Elrond won't go anywhere in the near future.'  
  
Adjusting his quiver, the dark haired elf began to make his way back northwards, moving stealthily through the colourful treetops.  
  
'And they really care about him,' he mused, 'A behaviour truly befitting the sons of Lord Elrond Peredhil. He is still putting the safety of humans before the safety of his own people.'  
  
A grin slowly spread across his face, making the eyes gleam with a cold, hard light.  
  
'Soon we will see just how much he cares for any of them. I can hardly wait.'   
  
  
  
  
When Aragorn arrived in the small glade, he saw that his younger elven brother had already put the time he had had to good use.   
Elladan lay next to a fire Elrohir had lighted, wrapped in one of his brother's spare cloaks the younger twin had found in the other saddle bag.  
'The one,' the young human thought guiltily, 'Whose contents I did not scatter all over the forest floor.'  
  
Elrohir looked up when he heard Aragorn enter the clearing, positioning a small bowl of water over the fire.  
Relief shining in his eyes, he rose to take the bag with the herbs from his brother.  
  
"Thank you, Estel," he said softly and opened the bag to search for athelas.   
"Did you find the daggers? I think there were two of Elladan's knifes as well, and you know how he is with his things: He would hate to lose them to a bunch of overgrown dogs," he added, his voice thick with emotion.  
  
Estel smiled at him and plopped down next to his older brother, pushing the edges of the cloak aside to get better access to his wounds.  
  
"Is there any water left? We need to clean these before we can use the athelas on them."  
  
Elrohir nodded, and passed his brother a water-skin without taking his eyes off the small bowl, trying to determine the right moment to drop the herbs into it.  
  
Aragorn took the offered water and began to clean his brother's chest and throat of blood and dirt. After he had washed away the top layer of dirt and dark warg blood, he found that it wasn't as bad as he had initially thought: There were a lot of scratch and teeth marks, but they were not too deep and a lot of skin had remained undamaged. While this could be dangerous or even deadly to a human, for an elf's superior healing powers it shouldn't be a problem.  
  
Gently wiping the water away from the wounds with a shred of cloth he had ripped from his brother's already ruined shirt, he smiled in relief when he noticed a new scent in the air: Aromatic and fresh, it seemed to chase away all doubts from Aragorn's troubled mind and fill him with a renewed resolve and strength.  
  
He looked over to Elrohir, who just dropped the last sprig of athelas into the bowl and stirred it with one of his now clean knifes.  
  
His elven brother smiled at him, worry still shining in his eyes.  
  
"It will be ready in a second now. How bad is it?"  
  
Estel returned his attention to the body of his oldest foster brother.  
  
"His chest is not too bad, I think. One of them seemed to have come quite close to latching onto his throat, and I guess his voice will be quite hoarse for a while, but it's nothing father cannot heal. What really worries me is his back, and I think two of his ribs might be cracked or even broken. With three wargs on top of him, it's a miracle any of them remained undamaged!"  
  
He moved over when Elrohir closed the distance between them, the bowl of still steaming water gripped tightly in both hand.  
With an inward apology to his unconscious brother, Aragorn ripped two more pieces out of Elladan's shirt, making a mental note to tell him that the wargs had torn it to pieces when he awoke.   
  
Handing Elrohir one of them, they both began the unpleasant task of cleaning the older twins numerous wounds.  
  
When they were finished with his chest, Elrohir turned his brother onto his stomach as gently as he could, preparing to hold him down should he awake while Estel cleaned the deeper scratches on his back.  
Cursing softly under his breath, Aragorn took up the water skin, and with a moment's hesitation and an apologetic glance at the unconscious elf, poured the rest of the water over his brother's back.  
  
Even in his unconscious state, Elladan's body jerked and tried to escape from what it mistakenly perceived to be further harm being done to it. Elrohir had to grab his brother's forearms tightly to hold him still and allow his human brother to clean Elladan's back.  
Brushing errant strands of dark hair away from his elven brother's face, he tried to soothe the fighting elf, speaking softly to him in Elvish to calm him down.  
  
Aragorn worked as quickly as he could, trying not to shake with anger and worry when he saw torn muscles and every so often the white bone of a rib shine through the tears that decorated his oldest brother's back.  
Dropping the cloth which was now tinged an ominously reddish colour, he pulled the small bowl closer and began to spread its contents over Elladan's back.  
  
Trying to ignore his elven brother's soft sounds of distress, he finished his work and began to wrap long white straps of bandages round his brother's ribcage and throat, taking care not to hinder his breathing more than it already was due to his broken ribs.  
  
Sitting back on his haunches, the young human ran a shaking hand through his dark hair and turned wide, serious eyes onto his younger elven brother.  
  
"These scratches are deep. They will need stitches, a lot of them. Father is going to have a field day with him, I'm afraid. It's getting dark; we need to get him back to Rivendell as quickly as possible."   
  
His brother nodded stony-faced, bedding Elladan's head in his lap.   
  
Aragorn got back to his feet, staggering slightly and wondering for an irrational moment if night had already fallen and the stars had decided to pay them a visit and dance around the dark trunks of the trees.  
  
"I will go and look for our horses. The forelegs of yours are quite badly scratched, you will need a healthy horse to carry the two of you back home," he added, knowing full well that there was no way Elrohir was letting go of his brother in the near future.  
  
Making his way slowly down the path he thought the horses would have taken, he whistled loudly and called out the horses' names, begging them in Elvish to return to them and help.  
  
'Elbereth, father will be angry! Why does this kind of thing always happen to us? It is as if every foul beast is waiting in line to have a try at killing all of us!' he mused stunned, disappearing slowly between the trees.  
  
  
  
Legolas returned from gathering an armload of dry wood for their camp fire and, not making a sound and grinning wickedly, moved quietly next to Celylith, who sat on a log next to the fire staring into the flames, and dropped it with a loud crash.  
His silver headed friend jumped noticeably and gave him a dark glare.  
  
"That was not a very wise course of action, _mellonamin_. I could have believed you to be a threat and shot you where you stand."  
  
Legolas' grin only broadened at that and he let himself drop down next to his friend.  
  
"Ah, my dear Celylith, but we both know that by the time you finally would have drawn that bow, I would already have slit your throat two times over," he taunted, eyes dancing with silent laughter.  
  
Before Celylith had time to come up with a proper response, for he thought that strangling his own prince might be considered a bit excessive, a glum voice interrupted their playful banter.  
  
"Yes, you are right there, Legolas. Even that ranger you insist on dragging around with you could have done that."  
  
The fair haired prince took a deep breath and decided, protective instincts towards his human friend flaring to life, to sort out this thing once and for all. He had endured Glónduil's teasing and degrading comments about Strider for the whole day, if his friend continued like this, he would end up slitting _his_ throat before the three days were over.  
  
"What do you mean by that, _mellonamin_?" he asked the dark haired elf in a dangerously low voice, rising to meet his companion's gaze.  
  
Glónduil clearly recognized by Legolas' tone of voice that he had finally gone too far, and dropped his eyes, mumbling, "Nothing, my lord"  
  
Legolas felt his temper flare up.  
  
"Don't you dare hide behind my title, Glónduil! I am not only your prince, I also am your friend, and in my capacity of both I order you to tell me, now, what it is that has been irking you for the whole day!"   
  
The dark haired elf lifted his head, his green eyes flashing angrily.  
  
"Well, if you insist, _your highness_," he stressed the title mockingly, "It is you."  
  
That took Legolas by total surprise.  
  
"Me?" he asked incredulously.  
  
"Yes, _you_, Legolas. What has happened to you? When did you change so much that I cannot even recognize you anymore? I have known you for the best part of our lives and yet you are riding along grinning happily because you get to visit your precious little human friend who will be dead in less than a century! Have you already forgotten what humans are like, prince?" Glónduil spat venomously.  
  
Celylith opened his mouth to intervene, but Legolas raised his hand.  
  
"No, let him speak," he said coldly, fighting for control over his emotions. This obviously was something their dark haired companion had wanted to say for a long time.  
  
"You cannot trust them, Legolas! They are weak and greedy and will turn on you the second your back is turned! Have you grown so blind that you cannot see who truly is your friend and who isn't?"  
  
Legolas breathed deeply and tried very hard not to let his fury overwhelm him, unconsciously clenching his hands into fists.   
  
"No, _my friend_," he replied sarcastically in an even voice, "I have not. In fact, I think my eyes see a lot of things in a clear light for the first time. Strider has been the truest, most loyal friend I have ever possessed during the short time I have known him. I will not allow anyone to talk about him like this, do you understand?"  
  
He glared at the other elf, who couldn't help but avert his eyes from the look of pure fury Legolas shot him.   
  
"Not all humans are alike! He has saved my life more times than I can recall, and his mind is not clouded by ill-founded prejudices. He would never have said the things you just did about any other being, not even about the likes of you.   
I have to thank you, Glónduil. I think now I truly know who my friends are."  
  
He turned abruptly and left the small camp behind, ignoring Celylith's pleas for him to wait.  
Quickly jumping into a tree, he leaned the back of his head against a thick branch and waited for the turmoil of emotions that raged in his heart to die down.   
  
'Valar, I didn't know he felt so strongly about our friendship. It is almost like a wound in his heart that has been festering for a long time,' he thought, gently running his fingers over the bark of the branches that surrounded him. The tree seemed to shiver in response, as if to try and bring its branches closer to the elf.  
  
The fair haired prince felt how his swirling emotions slowly came to rest; only the anger he felt at Glónduil's word wouldn't diminish.  
Sighing he decided that it probably would be best if he didn't return to camp this night, he should still be close enough to his companions to be reasonably safe.  
  
'I wouldn't want to be accountable for my actions if he opens his mouth one more time,' he thought grimly, leaning back and slowly relaxing his muscles that were still tense with anger.  
  
He was still sadly musing over the lifelong friend he had just lost, when he felt the now familiar dread sweep over him. This time however, it felt different, more intensive and urgent.  
Shaking his head helplessly, Legolas thought of his friends that were far out of his reach.   
As he knew them, they were probably already in trouble, especially Estel. There seemed to be few enough moments to count them on one hand when he had not been in one kind of trouble or other.  
  
He could not travel any faster than he already was, and while Celylith and even Glónduil would obey him, however unwillingly, if he ordered them to press on, only an insane person journeyed through this part of Mirkwood at night.  
  
Looking at the starry sky, he rubbed his forehead in frustration. There was something wrong, seriously wrong, and he could do nothing to help.  
  
"May Elbereth protect you, my friends, for I can not," he whispered softly.  
  
  
  
  
Elrond stood just outside the main doors, watching the last light of the day die far in the west. To a casual observer, he seemed the perfect picture of the calm, dignified elven lord, but to those who knew him better the worry that showed in his eyes and very stance was clearly visible.  
He sighed and stopped himself again from pacing back and forth.  
  
'I knew something would happen to them. I just knew it. I should never have allowed them to leave,' he thought furiously, running a hand over his grey eyes.  
  
Just when he was about to launch another mental sermon about what else he could have done differently, he heard the faint sounds of approaching horses.  
Smiling in relief, he turned to face the main gates, just to very nearly lose his composure again when he looked upon the sight that greeted him.  
  
Riding through the gates at full speed were two riders with a riderless horse close behind them. He frowned when he saw his youngest son's far too pale face; the other rider was holding something in his arms, something big and unmoving…  
  
"Elladan!" Elrond breathed horrified, rushing forward to meet his sons.  
  
"My sons, what has happened?" he asked as calmly as he could when Elrohir lowered his brother into the waiting arms of his father, taking in his pale features and bandaged chest.  
  
"Wargs, _ada_, about three hours from here," Elrohir replied quickly, jumped off his horse and followed his father into the house, an unsteady Estel on his heels.  
  
Elrond carefully positioned his oldest on one of the beds in the hospital wing, issuing orders to several servants who rushed out of the room, and let his gaze wander over his other two sons, wrinkling his forehead in concern when he saw their blood-stained appearances.  
  
"What about you? Are you hurt?"  
  
Elrohir shook his head.   
  
"No, _ada_, just a few scratches. I'm fine."  
  
"What about you, Estel? Estel?"  
  
Aragorn lifted his eyes to meet his father's, which suddenly felt very heavy, as if someone had placed leaden weights on them. Now that he knew his elven brother would be safe, the adrenaline that had kept him going faded into nothing and his body started to betray him.  
The room seemed to spin around him at an incredible pace and the pain in his side seemed to multiply tenfold.  
  
Leaning against one of the door's wooden pillars for support, he noticed that somehow the faces of his brother and father became blurred in front of his very eyes, and their voices seemed to come from a long distance away.  
  
"Estel?" he heard a worried voice ask over the sound of rushing blood in his ears, but he didn't have enough strength to answer.  
  
Giving the shape he believed to be Elrond a comforting smile, he finally gave in to the darkness he had been fighting off for the past hour and collapsed into the arms of his shocked foster father.  
  
  
  
**  
  
TBC...**  
  
  
  
_edan - human, man (sg.)  
mellonamin - my friend  
ada - father (daddy)  
_  
  
  
  
**I don't think I need to stress how much I LOVE reviews, so if you just drop me a line or two, I'll be very very happy!! But if you insist, I will even resort to begging: Please! PLEASE! PLEASE!! *g***  
  
  
  


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**Additional A/N:**  
  
Lievre - Lievre!! I know you!! *huggles her* I'm soo glad you like it! Yes, the age thing is a bit difficult, I said it takes place about 2953 (TA), that would make Aragorn about 22 or 23. I know Tolkien always said he turned from child to adult real quick, but I always thought that to be a bit strange. I mean, I look at my older brother, who is 22 years old as well, and, let's just say, at times he behaves _really_ childish. Okay, he is not the heir of Isildur either (at least I hope so! *g*), but boys just don't mature as quickly as girls do. And in combination with mischivous elves (and Tolkien expressly said that they are!), I think, he could behave like that! Ah well, it's only my interpretation. And it fits my storyline! *g* Thanks for your review!!  
Alilacia/Sailor G - That's you, isn't it? Yes, you are right, they are all exceptionally good at getting hurt! *evil grin* Poor babies... And don't worry about Estel, he will be fine - in the end... *g* And I'm truly sorry about not bringing Legolas into this more, but in the beginning I thought it to be a clever idea *hits herself* to let him start the whole thing in Mirkwood. That was, of course, before I realized how long it would take him to get over those blasted mountains! But I'm working on it, don't worry... Thanks a lot for all your compliments! *blushes* And of course you can save it, no problem! Although you might want to think about that printing bit again, I have just finished chapter 6 and there are over 50 pages now! And there will be a lot more than 6!  
Alexa - Thanks a lot for your review! I try to update every three or four days, but reviews always help me to post faster! *g*  
Mouse - *bows low* Thank you! And because you liked the last cliffy so much, here's another one for you! And our dark haired elf will remain mysterious and in the shadows for quite some time... So, more tension! Mhahahaha!   
Amber - I'm glad you like it! Thanks a lot for reviewing, it really encourages me!  
Carrie - *huggles Elladan* I would never try to actually _kill_ you! I mean, come on, there are Estel and Elrond, what could go wrong with your wounds? Hm, perhaps you shouldn't answer that, if it really was _you_ who deleted my story, I will think of something... *evil grin* *huggles Carrie* Thank you sooooo much for your great reviews! They always make me laugh! Although *waggles her finger* I think you should go easy on Elrond. He will be in a whole lot of trouble soon, he will need all the help he can possibly get... *evil cackle* And don't worry, I will update on Saturday IF I get some reviews... *g*  
Lina - *huggles Éomer* Thank you for taking her away! She is really SCARY sometimes ... Perhaps I shouldn't tell her what will happen to our baby in the future... *g* Lina, how many times have I told you, _don't_ scare my chracters?! Even if they're wargs? Now I will have to get new ones, these here are too frightened of you and your newspaper to be big and mean and evil! *shakes head* *thinks about what Lina will say about _this_ cliffy* Uhm, I gotta go, I have ... things ... to do ... very important ... *runs and hides*  
ThE iNsAnE oNe - *tries to imagine a warg ten times the size of a normal warg* Ooops, that's ... interesting ... what do you feed it? And don't worry, Elladan will be fine, he's an elf, after all - but will Estel? Mhahahahaha! *runs away cackling evilly*  
Mia - Yes, I will! *g* I will finish it, in time... Thanks a lot for reviewing! It really helps!  
Jenny - Stop camparing this to C&S! I will turn into a megalomaniac! But thank you! *hugs her* I'm glad you like it, and really hope you don't mind cliffhangers, because I think I have developed a certain ... fondness for them! *g*  
Zam - *hands Zam a 2 litre bottle coke* Calm down, breathe .... that's it ... *sweat drops* PLEASE tell me you don't plan to slaughter the teachers with the help of your orc horde?! And thanks a lot for your idea, I never even thought of Glónduil turning on Legolas ... but it's a great idea, thanks! *evil grin*  
Christy - Oh, you will see A LOT more of our least favourite elf ... 'purity minded', that's a good term, he certainly is ... and he has a lot of suppressed anger ... God, I'm turning into a psychiatrist here! Thanks for the review!  
MegumiFuu - No, you didn't sound nit-picky, really! It helps when somebody actually tells you what you're doing wrong. Now I'm paying a lot more attention to the tenses! No, don't worry, Elladan hasn't been injured too badly, Estel is another story... *evil grin*  
Reginabean - *looks down at Reginabean* Well, if I pull you up, you will fall down again ... and again ... and again ... So I think I will just let you hang there! Bye! *walks away whistling* LOL, thanks for the review!  
Vana Burke - Well, I have to admit, I don't understand Spanish, and the translation program said it meant "It was eaten". So I assume it means "He was bitten" or something like that? *g* I would never let Elladan die! What would my other babies say! They would be sooo sad! *g*  
Hwoarang Girl - *mock look of surprise* How did you KNOW that? Weird... *shakes head* LOL, don't worry, Elladan will get him back, in time, he's a bit busy being unconscious right now, but after that... *g*  
Ting - How dare you! That is my pet balrog Stan! You cannot slay him! He protects me from angry reviewers and other evil creatures! *g* Well, I'm glad you like it! And don't even think about touching Stan one more time... *dark look*  
  
**Thank you for your wonderful reviews! I love every single one of them! *hugs them***  
  
  



	5. The Calm Before the Storm

**Disclaimer:** For full disclaimer, please see chapter 1.  
  
  
**A/N:  
  
*grins happily* Thank you so much! Look at all the lovely reviews! Well, it's amazing what a bit of blackmail can do... *hugs all of them* Thanks!  
  
Okay, to answer the question a lot of people have asked:  
Legolas won't be arriving in Rivendell any time soon. I'm sorry! *runs and hides from angry Legolas fans*  
Well, somehow it seemed to be a good idea to let him start the whole thing in Mirkwood, but, of course, that was _before _I remembered how long it would take him to cross those blasted mountains! *hits herself *  
However: Never fear, he will get into his fair share of trouble later on his way over the mountains, and I'm not talking about Glónduil...** ***evil grin***  
**But he will get there, perhaps in chapter 8 ... *whispers* or chapter 9 ... *g*  
  
Well, here is chapter 5, folks, I hope you'll enjoy it!  
And: Reviews might help to bring Legolas to Rivendell sooner! (Legolas: *outraged* That's a lie, and you know it!)  
Okay, he is right, but it was worth a try, wasn't it? *g*  
**  
  
  


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Chapter 5  
  
  
Aragorn awoke to the sound of softly singing birds outside his bedroom's window.   
Moving slightly, he immediately regretted his decision to return to the world of the conscious when a stab of pain that almost stole his breath away shot through his side.  
  
'Okay then,' he thought breathlessly, 'Moving isn't such a good idea.'  
  
Mentally debating if there was a way to kill these annoyingly cheerful creatures before they drove him insane with their incessant chirping so he could get some more sleep, he finally gave up and opened his eyes.  
Blinking slowly and easing himself up in bed, he noticed several things at once.  
  
First, he was lying in his own bed, a mount of at least a dozen colourful embroidered velvet pillows behind his head.  
Second, his chest was swathed in so many layers of bandages that Aragorn was convinced that there couldn't be another piece of linen in the whole of Imladris.  
And third, Elrohir was sleeping in an armchair next to his bed, head resting on one of the padded arms and eyes half-lidded, the dark hair that had fallen over his eyes moving slightly with every breath he took.   
  
Gazing at his brother's dark hair, Estel suddenly bolted upright in his bed, ignoring his protesting side.  
  
"Elladan!"  
  
Waking with a start, Elrohir blinked a few times in rapid succession before fixing worried eyes on his young brother.  
  
"Estel, you are awake! How do you feel? Does your side hurt? Do you need anything? I will get father," he asked so quickly that the human could barely separate the questions.  
  
Gripping his brother's arm with his right hand, Aragorn stopped him before he could leave the room.  
  
"Elrohir, wait! Where is Elladan? Is he alright? I can't remember what happened to him," he asked the dark haired elf urgently, his silver eyes searching his brother's scratched face for the answers he sought.   
  
The younger twin dropped back down into his chair, a grin on his face that didn't reach his eyes.  
  
"You wouldn't. You collapsed right after we arrived yesterday evening."  
  
Seeing the worry in his human brother's eyes, he placed a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Do not worry, brother. Elladan will be alright. _Ada_ spent a long time patching him up and putting enough stitches into his back to last him well into the next age. He is still sleeping, but he will be fine."  
  
Breathing a sigh of relief, Aragorn allowed himself to fall back into the pillows and closed his eyes.  
  
"Thank the Valar! I just thought he … But wait a moment, did you say yesterday evening? It's getting dark outside now!" he exclaimed, pointing at the slowly dimming sunlight that streamed in through the window.  
  
"Yes, little one, I did indeed say evening, and if you don't calm down this instant, father will have me thrown out without batting an eyelid! You have been asleep for more than 20 hours," his elven brother explained, pressing him back down onto his bed.  
  
"20 hours?" Aragorn repeated, staring at his brother with wide eyes.  
"How is that possible?"  
  
"Well, _ada_ drugged you, of course," Elrohir explained with a smug grin.  
"And there was the small matter of your wound, as well," he added, dropping his eyes and becoming very serious.  
  
Estel eyed his brother confused. Reaching out again, he laid a hand on his brother's arm.  
  
"Elrohir? What is it? I am fine, it wasn't that bad!"  
  
His elven brother raised his head suddenly, tears of self-accusation shining in his eyes.   
  
"It is all my fault!"   
  
Blinking perplexed, Estel asked, "What is your fault, brother?"  
  
"Well, everything of course! Elladan was wounded because he warned me of that warg that had been sneaking up behind me! If I had paid attention and seen it sooner, he wouldn't be lying in the hospital wing looking as if a horde of trolls used him for a doormat!  
And I knew you had been wounded, but when we found Elladan, I was just so worried and I simply forgot! I almost lost both of you on one day! What kind of brother am I??"   
  
Sighing inwardly, Estel finally understood what was troubling his brother. Even though he was not nearly as bad as Elladan, he was still ready to put all the blame on his shoulders. And then still some more, if possible.  
  
He shook his head in exasperation, "The stupid kind, I guess."  
  
Looking at his elven brother, Aragorn suddenly wished that time would stop so he could have a picture drawn of this sight. That specific look of open-mouthed confusion was extremely hard to come by.  
He smiled innocently at Elrohir and continued with quiet conviction.  
  
"_Nothing_ of this was your fault, brother. You are to blame neither for Elladan's injury nor for mine. I didn't want you to remember my wound, in fact I had forgotten all about it for a while myself. When I saw Elladan like that, all I could think of was getting him home as quickly as possible," he told his brother and added, stressing every word and catching his brother's eyes, "This was not your fault. Everybody would have reacted just like you did."  
  
"And that is exactly what I have been trying to tell him for the past 21 hours," a new voice interrupted their conversation, exhaustion and humour both very much evident.  
  
The two brothers turned their heads into the direction of the voice to see their father stand in the doorway, a small pot with some kind of salve or ointment in the one and a pile of bandages in the other hand.  
  
'That much to my theory concerning the bandages,' Aragorn thought wryly, 'He must have been stockpiling them somewhere…'  
  
Elrond approached the bed his youngest son was lying in, positioned the items he held on a small wooden table next to his other son's armchair, an armchair he could have sworn he had last seen in the library by the way, and sat down on the edge of the bed, dark robes moving softly across the stone floor.  
  
Smiling at the young human, he reached out and touched Estel's forehead, nodding satisfied when he could feel no sign of a fever.  
  
"You gave me quite a scare yesterday, my son. How many times have I told you to take better care of your body? It is not as bad as we thought at first sight, but combined with the blood-loss and exhaustion it was enough to make sure that your body needs to rest for a few days. Why didn't you tell your brother?" he scolded lightly, letting his hand rest against his son's cheek.  
  
Estel returned the smile, looking somewhat abashed.  
  
"I'm sorry, father. Somehow my sword got stuck in that warg and then we found Elladan and I just …"  
  
Elrond shook his head slightly, the worry he had felt for the human still lingering the depths of his dark grey eyes.  
  
"There is no need to justify your actions, Estel. I know you did not do this on purpose. At least I hope so," he added with a mocking smile.  
  
Estel laughed, clutching his side, a sudden mischievous gleam in his eyes.  
  
"Well, I didn't plan it, _ada_, but when I saw that warg I just couldn't resist. I know how much you appreciate a challenge and so I thought 'Why not, it's been ages since he's had any interesting cases, he's looking positively unhappy…'"  
  
Shaking his head in mock indignation, his father turned to his younger elven son, who had been watching the conversation with an amused smile.  
  
"Just why didn't you feed him to the wargs as I ordered, Elrohir?" he asked, causing both of his sons to burst out laughing.  
  
Seeing the way his human son was holding on to his side, Elrond rose, took up his supplies and gave his other son a light shove in the direction of the door.  
  
"Go, you have exhausted you brother for far too long already. And take that armchair back to the library from where you 'borrowed' it," he ordered, giving Elrohir a stern look.  
  
Looking like an elfling who had just got caught in one of the larders before a great feast, the younger elf grinned at his brother and left, pushing the chair out of the room.   
  
Sitting back down, Elrond pushed Aragorn's shirt away from the bandages and started to uncoil the linen straps.   
  
Sensing Aragorn's gaze upon him, he raised his eyes to the face of his son.  
  
"Do you think he will be alright? It _wasn't_ his fault, there honestly is nothing he could have done," Aragorn asked softly, worry for his brother evident in his voice.  
  
Elrond smiled thoughtfully, remembering the countless times the twins had joyfully placed heaps of undeserved guilt on their shoulders.  
  
"Yes, my son, he will be alright. Just wait, as soon as he has spoken to Elladan he will feel better, and in a few days he will be back to normal," he replied and carefully spread ointment on the wound whose edges were sewn together with soft elven thread.   
  
At his words Estel sat up, a hopeful look spreading on his face.  
  
"Elladan is awake? How is he? Can I see him?"  
  
Mumbling softly under his breath about the impatience of youth, Elrond rewrapped the wound and turned stern eyes on his youngest.  
  
"No, he is not awake, but he should wake up any minute now. He will feel a bit sore for the next few days, and his throat and back should take a bit longer to heal, but he will be fine. And no, you can't see him now," he stated, but added when he saw Aragorn's face fall, "Perhaps tomorrow, if you feel strong enough to get up. And remember, my son, if I catch you in Elladan's room before I expressly allow you to visit him, I will forget having ever said these words."  
  
Estel lay back and relaxed into the comforting warmth of the bed, snuggling deeper under the covers and yawning sleepily.   
  
"I wouldn't dream of it, _ada_. I would never do such a thing."   
  
The Lord of Rivendell watched his son fall asleep, gathered his supplies and stood up.  
Smiling down on the sleeping human, he wondered how many more times he would have to patch up his youngest yet again.   
  
'It's probably best not to think about it,' he decided and headed for the door, snorting softly when he remembered Aragorn's last words.  
  
'Do they really expect one to believe such statements?'   
  
  
  
  
Legolas walked lightly across the clearing, calling softly for their horses.  
  
At the clear sound of the prince's voice, the three animals lifted their heads from where they had been grazing and came up to him, whinnying happily.  
Legolas reached out to pat his horse's neck, telling it softly in Elvish that it was the most beautiful horse he had ever seen, besides being the most intelligent, bravest and swiftest animal in existence.  
  
The horse rubbed its white, gleaming nose against Legolas' green tunic, nodding its proud head in agreement with each statement.  
  
Laughing lightly, the elf began to get them ready to travel.  
  
'You, my friend, are the cockiest being I have ever met. Although Estel might give you a run for your money,' he grinned inwardly.  
  
He had risen early this morning when he couldn't fall asleep anymore, and, with a quiet nod to Celylith who had taken the last watch, he had told him in a whisper that he would take care of their horses so they could leave earlier, very careful not to wake his other travelling companion. Glónduil had been nearly unbearable the other day, barely civil and stressing Legolas' title at each opportunity.  
  
Giving his prince an unreadable look, Celylith had nodded back, fingering the bow that lay across his lap and scanning Legolas closely as he disappeared between the tall dark trees that were seemingly trying to shift closer together in an attempt to block out the early sunlight.   
  
Currying his horse, Legolas heard a soft noise behind him, something probably only a wood-elf would have noticed.  
Without taking his eyes off his task, he smiled slightly and said,  
  
"So he has risen at last?"  
  
Celylith scowled at his friend's back, abandoned his attempts at stealth and walked closer to the horses, giving his own an apple and, when the other two looked at him with a mixture of accusation and unbelief, produced two more.  
  
"He is breaking camp. We will be ready to leave in about 20 minutes," he stated, watching Legolas intently.  
  
"Very good," the fair haired elf replied, not willing to give away his feeling on this subject.  
  
Sighing, Legolas' companion shook his silver head and decided that a direct approach was the only course of action that offered a slim chance of success. When Legolas wanted to be, he could be even more tight-lipped than a wizard when pressed for information.  
  
"What is it that has been bothering you, _mellonamin_? You haven't been yourself lately. Is it because of Glónduil? He didn't mean what he said, don't take him too seriously," he asked, willing his companion to answer his question.  
  
To his surprise, Legolas sighed and let his head rest against his horse's neck, closing his eyes.  
A moment later he opened them again and smiled sadly at his friend.  
  
"Nay, my friend, he meant it exactly the way he said. His words could not have been any clearer. But no," he added and started currying again, "It is not because of him, or at least not only because of him. It is … I don't know how to explain it," he said, frustration evident in his voice, and turned to face his friend, letting the horse brush sink again.  
  
"Have a try," Celylith said with more cheerfulness than he felt.   
  
"It is … like a darkness that is creeping closer and closer. Every time I try to fall asleep, it is there, waiting, growing, coming closer. There is danger coming, _mellonamin_," Legolas tried to explain, eyeing his friend closely.  
  
The silver haired elf's face grew dark at Legolas' words; if the prince felt that danger was approaching, one could usually trust his judgement.  
  
"Are we in danger?"  
  
Legolas shook his head, his fair hair catching the first sunlight that had managed to creep through the dense trees all around them.  
  
"No, at least I don't think so. The closer I come to Imladris, the more powerful this feeling becomes. There is danger approaching it, or already there."   
  
He stopped for a second and turned despairing eyes on his friend.   
"And I cannot help them! We cannot travel any faster than we already do, and we are still more than five days away!"  
  
Celylith looked at his friend in sympathy.   
  
"Don't worry, _mellonamin_. We will reach the High Pass at the end of the day. Perhaps you are mistaken and …"   
  
He stopped right there when he saw Legolas raise an eyebrow in question.  
  
"Excuse me? Is this the same elf who pledged never to question my judgement again after we all very nearly got eaten by those wargs because no one would listen to my warnings?"  
  
His friend smiled at him, midnight-blue eyes troubled.   
  
"I was just being optimistic, my lord," he explained softly.  
  
Returning the smile, Legolas placed a slim hand on his companion's shoulder.  
  
"I know you were. You always are. Even when captured by spiders and about to be woven into a cocoon, you would still find something positive about the situation."  
  
"Spiders are very interesting creatures! We could learn a lot from them if they would just give us enough time to get acquainted with each other," Celylith exclaimed and added, thoughtfully, "Unfortunately, they always try to eat us first, but if we could get past that…"  
  
He took a look at Legolas' face and decided to let the subject drop. Most wood-elves weren't especially fond of the arachnids, and Legolas was no exception to that rule.  
  
Smiling encouragingly, he told his friend, "They will be fine, Legolas. Nothing will happen to Lord Elrond or his sons. The twins are not so easy to get rid of, and Strider knows how to look after himself quite well for an _ edan_. They will be fine," he repeated.  
  
Legolas looked into the other elf's eyes and fervently hoped he could believe this.  
  
  
  
  
Elladan was lying in bed, barely enjoying the first light of the morning sun that streamed through the window into the hospital room. Taking a look at the small bare room, the older twin sighed and started to work on his seventh escape plan this morning. It would work about as well as the six before it, but well, he needed something to pass the time.  
  
'There is absolutely no reason to lock me into this small, stupid and boring room!' he complained inwardly and began to count the beams on the ceiling once again. He had done that about 45 times already, so it was still a relatively new and exciting pastime.  
Since Elrohir's visit yesterday evening nothing, absolutely nothing of interest had happened.  
  
Just when he had reached beam number 31, he heard a small noise outside his room. He tried to remember the position of this specific beam and looked down from the ceiling, expecting to see his father or one of the healers, who had come to torment him on the pretext of changing his bandages or something similarly sinister.  
  
Instead of one of the elves who cared for him, he saw his young human brother sneak into his room, wearing a robe over a light shirt and nothing on his feet.  
Elladan winced. If their father caught the ranger like this, there would be trouble.  
  
"Estel?!" he whispered hoarsely, delight and reproach in his voice, "What are you doing here? Do you _know_ what father will do with you if he finds you here?"  
  
The human grinned at him as he plopped down into the only chair in the room. He took some books that Elladan had been reading in his room out of his robes, placing them next to his elven brother's head.  
  
"I know how much you enjoy the peace and quiet here, so I thought I'd visit you and bring you something to read. And don't worry, father won't find me here, Elrohir is distracting him, or at least he promised me to. And … Ilúvatar, who decorated this room?" he asked in mock surprise, a wicked gleam in his eyes. It was a long-standing joke between the three of them.  
His grin faded quickly when he took in his brother's numerous bandages.  
  
"How are you, brother?"  
  
Elladan smiled when he heard the worry in his brother's voice.  
  
"I am well, Estel. I was lucky I had you and father to patch me up. My back will take a bit to heal, but father promised me he would let me go in two or three days. Another week and I will be as good as new," he stated and asked, eyeing Aragorn suspiciously, "But what about you? Elrohir said something about a near-fatal injury."  
  
Aragorn rolled his eyes in annoyance.  
  
"I'm fine, Elladan, really. 'Tis just a scratch, I will be able to stay out of bed today if _ada_ allows it."  
  
Elladan gave his brother a look that clearly said that he thought the human had very obviously taken a rather hard hit to the head.  
  
"I know, I know," Estel said, sighing, "I will have to convince him. Speaking of which, I should return to my room, I think. I have not survived those smelly beasts to be killed by my own father because I'm out of bed against his orders."  
  
He rose from the chair and gave his older elven brother a warning grin.  
  
"When I come back later with father, could you please be so kind to hide the books and at least try and act as if you hadn't seen me for days? You spoiled the whole thing the last time," he told his brother, and left the room quickly before Elladan could find his still slightly damaged voice to reply.  
  
Elrond's oldest son looked after his human brother, smiling sweetly.  
  
'Just you wait, little brother, just you wait. Wait till you have seen what I did to your shirts a few days ago…'  
  
  
  
  
Stoking the low fire, the lone elf sat in front of his small campfire and stared into the dancing flames. The wind had picked up during the evening, dark grey clouds blocking out the moon and stars, dipping the scenery into almost complete blackness. There was a storm coming, silencing the usual sounds of the forest, so that nothing apart from the howling of the wind could be heard. One couldn't even hear the soft murmuring of the creek that was but a few hundred metres away and after which Amon Siril had been named.  
The dark haired elf grinned grimly. The weather fitted his mood just perfectly, which was so dark he was surprised one could not see the rain clouds hanging over his head.  
  
'Perhaps Nólad was right after all,' he thought, picking at the hot ashes with a short stick, 'I shouldn't have done this on my own.'  
  
To see Imladris after all these years had been hard, a lot harder than he had imagined. He had had to stop himself from riding right up to the gates, expecting a welcome from his friends and family.  
  
'They are dead, you fool,' he told himself firmly, 'Dead! Every single one of them! Nólad is the only one left now, all the others are gone. And all because of the foolish decision of one elf, one person who destroyed so many lives with a single ill-founded decision!'  
  
He gritted his teeth against the mental pain the memory of a day almost 3000 years ago was causing him, against the images of bloody dark hair, unseeing green eyes staring at nothing, and blood, so much blood…  
The elf pressed the palms of his hands against his eyes, trying to block out the vision. His attempts were interrupted when he heard the unmistakable sound of approaching horses, and, by the sound of it, a lot of them.  
Taking several deep breaths, he tried to get his feelings under control. He ran a still shaking hand over his face and suppressed the memories forcefully.  
  
The dark haired elf turned from the campfire to the south to meet his friend and the men in the small woods that covered the hill on all sides and lead them to his campsite.  
  
'There is a lot to discuss with Nólad and even the _edain_,' he thought as he picked his way through the undergrowth, 'I won't let them ruin the only chance of revenge I might ever get.'  
  
  
  
  
  
**TBC...**  
  
  
  
  
_ada - father (daddy)  
mellonamin - my friend  
edan - human, man (sg.)  
edain - men (pl.)  
  
  
  
_**Well, you heard it, review and Legolas will arrive in Rivendell sooner! *puts her hand over Legolas' mouth before he can protest*   
Honestly! *clueless, adorable look of innocence* So, please will you review? Please??**  
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_**Additional A/N:  
  
**Ruth - Me, a review junkie? *look of fake indignation* NEVER! *snickers* Well, perhaps a bit ... a tiny little bit ... Thank you so much for your review! I love getting reviews! *hastily* Which, of course, doesn't make me a review junkie! *g*  
Alexa - *blushes* Oww, thank you! I'm really sorry to disappoint you, but Legolas is still stuck on the wrong side of the Misty Mountains ... hm, or on the right side, when one considers what will be going on on the other side soon ... *evil grin*  
E - E what? Interesting name though... *g* Pain for our favourite elves and human? Me? Whatever gave you _that_ idea? Well, he is planning to invite them all for a nice little tea party ... or not ... *g*  
Mouse - Well done! *hands Mouse an Elrond plushie* Not a bad guess! You would have guessed after this chapter anyway... But what will he do? *evil cackle* Thanks so much for your compliments! I loved writing Glónduil ... and the evil elf ... is that normal? I love writing the bad guys ... I should seek professional help ...  
MegumiFuu - Estel-whumping, you could say that ... And this, my friends, is only the beginning ... *evil laugh* I'm glad you like it! But Legolas and the twins will see their fair share of whumping, too ... and perhaps even Elrond, I haven't decided yet... *g*  
CalliTrakand - Well, yes, I AM evil! I love hurting them ... but I patch them up as well, most of the time anyway... *g* Thank you for all your kind words AND the review, of course! I think I DID mention I love them ... once ... or twice ... *g* Believe or or not, I wondered whether to update today or Monday, and because of all the reviews I decided to do it today. So you really managed to convince me to update sooner ... and if you review again, I just MIGHT update on Tuesday... Blackmail again, I know!  
Carrie - *removes her pink fluffy earmuffs* Done screaming? Thank you, my mother was already asking if I was murdering someone up here... *g* *reads review again* Estel is gonna get _what_? BURNED? By what's-his-name, Vandaril? NOOOOO!!!!! How could you? Uhm, I shouldn't be talking, I think... *grabs earmuffs tighter* I think I will keep them for the next chapter...  
Reginabean - *sits down on top of the cliff* Well, you have to understand, it's not that I don't WANT to help you, there is just no point in doing so ... I mean, see it my way: Every time I post a cliffy (and there are going to be a few more times, believe me!), I will have to haul you up again. No, thanks! But I hope this chapter helped a bit ... all nice and quiet, but: Did you notice the title? *runs away cackling evilly*  
ThE iNsAnE oNe - *whines* Where is your story? Well? You've got to post it or, or, or ... I will stop updating!! *looks pleased* So, what do you say? *takes a look at Fred* Well, uhm, just ... forget about it, will you? Of course I will update frequently, and did I mention that Fred is an extraordinarily beautifuil warg? *nervous smile*  
Alilacia - *snickers* Oh, just you wait ... There will be much to give Legolas a reason to feel guilty! _Much_ more! Ah, I just _love_ knowing things other people don't ... does that make me evil? No, on second thought, don't answer that... *g* *narrows eyes* How did you know what Estel was planning to do? Never mind, your mind probably just works in the same scary ways mine does... Well, you forgot the scene where Aragorn is jumping across that chasm in Moria and Legolas catches him. _That_ is a great scene... *sighs*  
Ciria - *hides* Oh, another Legolas fan! I'm sorry, but it will take him a bit longer to cross the mountains ... let me think ... Legolas will get off the mountains in three days and will be able to arrive in Rivendell in about four days, if my memory serves me right... So, in a few chapters he will join our favourite elves and human ... or not ... *g* Thanks so much for the review!  
Acacia - Nothing's wrong with Estel, don't worry ... *pats her back* It's just a flesh wound! I hope you'll enjoy the rest as well! Thanks for reviewing!  
Miss Undastood - *pales* You are right you are right you are right ... I changed it! I did! It's gone! Now it makes perfect sense ... at least I hope so ... *g* Thanks for telling me and thanks for the review!  
Lina - You know, somehow I really LOVE Éomer ... He is a very sensible person ... a bit stupid, yes, but ... *g* Don't kill Glónduil! I still need him! I know he is a jerk, but that's no reason to _kill_ him ... Lina, get back ... put down Halo's hammer ... Lina!! *sighs* God! And, see, Estel is fine ... *whispers* for now ...  
Zam - You thought of Legolas? God, I liked that scene! Now I will never be able to read it without thinking of you, a naked Glónduil or Legolas! Thanks Oh so very much! *gives evil glare of death* Well, I hate to tell you, but I think Aragorn yells "Elendil" because he was his great-great-great-...-great-grandfather. Is Gil-Galad _your_ grandfather? Hm? Are you part elf? I don't think so ... So, you will need to come up with another one, I'm afraid... *g* And, yes, Elladan's hair is still green, but only a little bit, you wouldn't even see it if you were not looking for it.  
Jenny - You hate cliffhangers? Uhm, then I would advise you against reading any further! You won't like the next chapter, believe me! *evil cackle* But it's fun writing them! Thanks for reviewing!  
ManuKu - Hey! Na, wenn das nicht die erste deutsche review ist, die ich bekomme! Danke! *umarmt sie* Freu ich mich doch, dass es dir gefaellt! Das bedeutet mir ganze Menge, glaub mir! Und gleich vier Stueck auf einmal! Du kannst dir nicht vorstellen, wie review-suechtig ich in allerkuerzester Zeit geworden bin ... das ist schon nicht meht schoen ... *boeses Grinsen* Tja ja ja, der boese Elb wird sich auch noch einige Zeit im Verborgenen halten, ist doch auch viel lustiger so, nech? Vielen Dank fuer die review!!  
Roses - Thank you for the compliment! I try to let people know what the characters are thinking, this way I hope to minimize confusion ... emphasis on "hope" ... *g* And, thank you, I will definitely need all the luck I can possibly get! Thanks for the review!  
Arafel - Don't worry, I will post more soon! Depends on how many review I get, of course... *evil grin* I'm glad you liked it! So, review this bit, and I might think about posting the next part on Tuesday... I love being able to blackmail people... *g*  
Just Jill - Yeah, the friendship bit is really sad ... I haven't decided yet what to do with Glónduil, perhaps he will apologize ... he's still young (for an elf, that is!) and should be able to overcome his prejudices ... then again, maybe not... *evil grin* Thanks a lot for reviewing!  
  
**Thanks sooooo much for the reviews! They did make me post sooner! They really did! *hugs all of them* Thank you!**  
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	6. Opening The Game

**Disclaimer: **For full disclaimer, please see chapter 1.  
  
**A/N:  
  
Well, just to let you know, I really didn't want to update today. Yeah, I know, that's mean, but I AM mean, I'm afraid. *g*  
  
But since I finished a paper on Emperor Aurelian yesterday (You ask 'Who was Emperor Aurelian'?? Let me tell you one thing: You don't want to know. Trust me. I've read about five books about him, I should know. *g*), I thought I'd show you how very HAPPY I am about this and post chapter 6 a little bit sooner than planned.  
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**It is a bit longer than the other chapters, but I didn't think you would mind... *g*   
And Legolas has finally reached the High Pass! Yay! Even though he manages to run into trouble even _there _... *evil grin*  
  
Oh, and yes ... *searches in her pockets* wait a minute, it's got to be here somewhere** **... just a sec ... got it! *pulls out a big fat sign saying 'Beware: Cliffhanger!!!!'* **  
**Yes, I'm terribly sorry, but I just couldn't resist ... *cackles evilly* It's even a 'double-cliffhanger', in a way ...**  
  
**Okay, on to the chapter! *winks at Carrie and takes out her pink fluffy earmuffs***  
  
  
  


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Chapter 6  
  
  
Nólad jumped down from the tree he had spent the night on and landed on the ground without making a noise. One of the men close by, Seobryn, if his memory served him right, looked at him with wonder in his eyes.  
  
"How do you do that?" he asked, genuinely intrigued.  
  
Nólad smiled at him. It was very hard not to like this one, he was – even by the reckoning of men – still young and both curious and inquisitive.  
  
"It is a gift from the Valar to the firstborn, so we can make the life of the younger races more interesting," he said seriously, walking off and leaving the boy behind, who scratched his head in obvious confusion.  
  
'_Edain_,' he chuckled inwardly, heading for his friend who stood near the fire deeply in conversation with the human commander, Donyc.  
As he drew closer, the fair haired elf studied the man closely. He and his men were exactly what they had been looking for: Professionals who didn't have problems with working for an elf, without the slightest hint of a conscience, but with an abundance of unscrupulousness and ruthlessness. With a good amount of greed thrown in for good measure, of course, a greed which allowed anyone with enough money to buy their services.   
  
'And in Donyc's case,' he thought as he moved to stand next to his lord, 'all this is topped off with a definitely cruel streak. No,' he mentally corrected himself when he looked into the man's dark eyes, 'make that a sadistic streak.'  
  
"Good morning, _mellonamin_, are you ready to leave?" His friend's voice interrupted Nólad's reverie.  
  
"Yes, my lord. We are ready. If everything goes according to plan, we should reach the northern borders of Rivendell this evening," he stated.  
  
His friend gave a satisfied nod and turned back to face the human commander.  
  
"You understand what needs to be done?" he asked, studying the man closely.  
  
Donyc nodded, unconsciously averting his eyes from the elf's intense gaze.  
  
"And you have no problems with the plan?" the dark haired elf asked again with an unbelieving undertone in his voice.  
  
"No," the man stated, "As long as we get our money, I couldn't care less about what you do with a bunch of elves and their friends."  
  
Nólad watched his friend nod at the _edan_.  
  
"A very sensible attitude."  
  
"More than that, Master Elf, a very profitable one as well," the man chuckled before turning round to his men to give the signal to break camp.  
  
"_Edain_," Nólad's companion hissed when Donyc had moved out of earshot, "They haven't changed a bit. They would still sell their questionable honour for the merest hint of gold."  
  
"Who else could we have hired who would have been willing to do what we asked?" the other elf asked and looked his friend in the eye.  
The hate there burnt even stronger then before, if that was even possible. He wondered for a moment how much more it would be able to intensify before something in the dark haired elf snapped.   
  
'And now,' the fair haired elf decided, 'There is something else there, it's almost like ... a bloodthirsty gleam ... O Ilúvatar, how did it come to this?'  
  
Unaware of his companion's thoughts, the dark haired elf turned back into the direction the men were camping.  
  
"Yes, who else, _mellonamin_?" he asked, looking at the men in disgust.  
"But they will do," he added as if to himself, "They will do quite nicely, I think."  
  
  
  
  
Legolas cursed fluently in Dwarvish, a fact that would have greatly disturbed his father and king.  
'But sometimes,' he decided, 'Elvish languages just don't have the words necessary to voice one's feelings. Dwarvish has a lot of much more clear-cut expressions.'  
  
The wind began once again to blow snow into his face, and he let out an exceptionally inventive curse that would have had the twins go green with envy. Sometimes it was quite useful to have dwarves travel through your woods so frequently.  
Battling against the ever increasing blowing of the wind, the elven prince decided that he could go no further today. While he was not overly troubled by the snow, the horse would soon sink in to its belly if things went on like this.   
  
Pulling the animal into the direction of a small cave he remembered from previous journeys, he wondered how it was possible that the weather had changed so quickly. And, this thought caused him particular regret, just why he had insisted a day ago that Glónduil and Celylith returned to the borders of Mirkwood.  
  
  
_"Please, Legolas, be reasonable!"  
  
"Are you saying that I'm behaving unreasonably, Celylith?"  
  
"Nay, my lord, I would never say such a thing! But you don't know what the weather will be like, and you might need our help once you get over the mountains!"  
  
Legolas shook his head firmly, his silver-blue eyes flashing determinedly in the slowly dimming light as the sun sank lower under the horizon.   
  
"No, my friend, I will be able to travel faster alone. Besides, perhaps you are right and I am mistaken. Perhaps there is nothing wrong in Rivendell after all."  
  
His friend shot him a look that clearly said what he thought of Legolas' words.  
  
The fair haired prince sighed audibly.  
"I'm sorry, my friend, but it is better this way. You are needed back in Mirkwood, and I will be able to reach Imladris a lot faster if I go alone."  
  
Glónduil's condescending voice interrupted them.  
  
"Let him be, Celylith, if he doesn't want our help, we won't force him to accept it. There are strange things abroad, dwarves, men and elves, and, sometimes, they are even travelling together, but I am sure the prince will be alright."  
  
Legolas resisted the urge to strangle the dark haired elf, an urge he seemed to experience more and more frequently recently, and grasped his friend's forearms, pulling him closer.  
  
"I will be alright. Don't worry about me. I will send word as soon as I arrive in Rivendell."  
  
Celylith shook his head, but knew better than to protest. When Legolas was in this state of mind, there was no reasoning with him. He nodded reluctantly, dark blue eyes locking onto silver-blue ones.  
  
"I will pray for you and the others. May Elbereth guide you and protect you, and keep you from harm. Which is a job truly worthy of one of the Valar," he admitted wryly.  
  
Legolas smiled at his friend.  
"Thank you, mellonamin. Namárië."  
  
He turned away from the two elves without another word, mounted his horse and rode up the slowly rising path that led to the High Pass, and when he stopped some time later to look back over the lands below him, the others had passed out of sight.  
_  
  
A snowdrift which had accumulated on top of one of the rocks slid, raised by a sudden gale of wind, with uncanny precision down the back of his tunic, somehow finding its way past his cloak, causing the elven prince to jump. Very well, he decided, that was enough. He needed to find that cave, and the sooner the better. Legolas gave a silent sigh of relief when his eyes spied the dark entrance through the whirling masses of snow.  
Turning to his horse, which seemed to have seen the shelter as well and was straining to reach it quickly, he pulled it to a stop and looked at it with a cautioning glare.   
  
"If you tell anyone about this little episode, I will personally make sure that you will regret it, understood?"  
  
The white horse looked at him with large, innocent eyes that didn't fool the elf for a second. Picking up his pace to reach the shelter, Legolas shook his head, chuckling inwardly.  
  
'If Aragorn ever finds out I was actually glad to see a cave, I will be doomed. He would never let me forget it. Never.'  
  
  
  
  
Elrond stood on top of the steps that lead down into the courtyard from the main house and tried very hard not to let his worry show that stood in stark contrast to the glorious day that was about to unfold in front of his eyes.   
He had thought about explicitly forbidding them to leave the house today, but that probably would only serve to make sure his sons used the ropes they kept hidden in their rooms and he pretended he didn't know about and escaped through the windows.   
'Just like they have done in the past,' he reminded himself.  
  
"I'd prefer you not to go," he told his two sons again.  
  
"Oh, come on, father, we haven't been out for three days! Estel's wound is hardly giving him any more trouble and is healing nicely, and we won't even go on a proper hunt! We will just go and check the snares," Elrohir told his father as he adjusted his pack on his shoulders, "Isn't that right, little brother? You won't do anything strenuous today."  
  
Aragorn interrupted what he had been doing ever since he had tried to dress: Glare daggers at his oldest elven brother, who was standing next to their father and tried very hard not to grin broadly.   
The memory of a cursing Estel rushing into his room clad into a shirt that shimmered in every colour men – or even elves, for that matter – could possibly imagine was something Elladan would remember for a long time. Well, perhaps he had overdone it a bit when he had dyed every single of Estel's hunting shirts, but he had had to do _something_, hadn't he?  
'Yes,' Elladan decided, 'Sometimes it really pays having friends in the laundry."  
  
"No," Estel agreed, picking at the borrowed shirt that was slightly too big for him, "I won't do anything that could set back my recovery. I promise, _ada_."  
  
Elrond looked at the two hopeful faces in front of him and relented.  
  
"Very well then. Go. But Estel," he raised a finger and gave both of them a stern look, "If I find out that your have drawn a bow or something similarly foolish, I will make sure you don't leave this house for the next few weeks, no matter if Legolas is here or not. Understood, you two?"  
  
Both of them nodded seriously, "Yes, father."  
  
His gaze softening slightly, he added, "Please be careful. I feel something is drawing near, and even if I cannot be sure what it is, I am sure that it is not friendly. Be wary."  
  
Elrohir nodded again, clearly eager to be off, "We will be, _ada_ . Elladan," he turned to his elven brother, "Are you sure you don't want to come?"  
  
Elladan took one look at his human brother's scowling face and decided in an instant that he would be incomparably safer here.  
"No, brother, I think I will heed father's advice and go easy on my back for a while. My ribs are still a bit sore. Speaking of which," he said and leaned against a carved wooden pillar for support, "I feel quite weak suddenly."  
  
Aragorn snorted.   
"I bet you do." He turned to his father and said, grey eyes sparkling with anticipation, "Thank you, _ada_. I will be careful, I promise."  
  
With a last dark look at his brother, he turned und hurried to catch up with Elrohir, calling for him to wait.  
  
Elrond looked after them until they had disappeared from sight. Praying to Ilúvatar he hadn't just made another mistake of spectacular and unique proportions, he turned back into the Last Homely House, feelings of dread increasing by the minute.  
  
  
  
  
A few hours later, Aragorn was thoroughly annoyed. Elrohir could be over-protective at times – although not to the same extent as Elladan - , but this was ridiculous.  
  
'If he twists back a branch or stops for the stupidest reasons to give me a break or gives me that … that _look_ one more time, I might finish what the wargs started,' he though darkly, moving behind his brother with an almost elvish grace.  
  
When Elrohir told his young human brother a few minutes later to look out for a tree root that protruded slightly from the ground, he finally lost his temper. Grabbing his brother's shirt sleeve, he turned him around, eyes blazing with annoyance.  
  
"Do I look like a child to you? A little scratch doesn't turn me into an invalid all of the sudden! I can very well look after myself, and only a blind mole could have overseen that stupid root!"  
  
Elrohir looked at the ranger, not surprised in the slightest. Estel mistook honest concern quite often for over-protectiveness. Besides, his father would have his hide if anything happened to his little brother.  
  
"I am sorry, Estel, but father told me to keep an eye on you. He doesn't want his stitches to be ripped open in that unique way of yours…"  
  
Aragorn looked at his brother, silver eyes flashing dangerously.   
That had apparently been the wrong thing to say, Elrohir concluded.  
  
"Just let me be, Elrohir! Sometimes you are just so … so …" he stopped, at a loss for words.   
  
"Yes?" his elven brother asked smugly, raising a dark eyebrow in mock confusion.  
  
The human threw his hands up into the air, wheeled on his heel and trudged northwards, away from his brother.  
  
"Estel? Where are you going? I was only joking, brother…"  
  
"Just leave me alone, will you? I will go check the snares near the little ravine; I think I will manage _that_ on my own!"  
  
Elrohir watched his human brother disappear into the trees, shaking his head.  
  
'Humans. It is a miracle any of them survive childhood in the first place,' he thought and turned to the east to check a few more of the traps before returning home.  
  
  
  
  
Nólad remained in the tree he had been hiding in until he was sure the younger elf had passed out of earshot, before moving quickly from tree to tree, giving the human a wide berth. He, his friend and a few of the most skilful _edain_ had positioned themselves at strategic points all around Rivendell, waiting for the ranger to appear.  
He clutched a low-hanging branch just above his head, sending a colourful sparkle of leaves floating to the ground, and tried to pierce his surroundings with a keen glance.  
Just as he had thought, the human was still heading northwards, moving a lot more graceful than any other human he had ever encountered.   
  
'He is right,' the fair haired elf thought as he watched the human pick his way through the dense bushes, 'There is much more to this one than meets the eye.'  
  
He quickly remembered what he was here for and quelled all sympathy he might have felt for the human.  
  
'It would serve neither one of us. Not anymore.'  
  
Tearing his gaze away from the dark haired human, Nólad quickly made his way to the camp they had pitched yesterday evening. If they wanted to go on with their plan, they would need to act quickly.  
  
  
  
  
Legolas squinted through the snow, trying to make out the sun that had to be up there somewhere. Not that it had shown its face today, no, that would have been too much too ask for. The weather had not improved, in fact, it had worsened, if that had been even possible. Ever since he had left his little cave early this morning, the weather had steadily deteriorated, up to the point where not even an elf could see farther than a few feet.  
  
To make things worse, his forebodings had returned with a vengeance. Never before had Legolas felt such an urgent, pressing warning, not once in his long life.  
  
'Whatever it is, it will be happening soon,' he thought despairingly, judging his chances to arrive in time to help. Slim to none, like his human friend would have said.  
  
He suppressed a shudder that had nothing to do with the icy cold all around him, and wrapped himself more tightly into his dark elven cloak. This was very bad. As bad as it got.   
  
'No,' Legolas decided when a sudden gale of wind pressed him against his horse, 'No matter how bad things are, they can always get worse. And, usually, they do.'  
  
Stumbling over the snow that was piling up in front of him and pulling his horse along behind him, the elven prince followed what he thought was the snowy path leading across the Misty Mountains.  
  
He tried to make himself heard over the wind to encourage the animal as he rounded a heap of big stones that was lying on one side of the narrow road – only to come face to face with an extremely ugly goblin. And where there was one goblin, there were usually more.  
  
Starting back in shock and cursing himself for not hearing their approach, Legolas reached for his two elven knifes he kept in a sheath on his back and, before the goblin had even time to comprehend into whom or what he had just stumbled, slit the creature's throat with one move of his dagger. The goblin's hands flew instinctively to its throat, before it collapsed onto the snow with a low gurgle.  
  
Legolas moved around the piled rocks to find a bit more space to manoeuvre, and had just enough time to put his elven reflexes into good use to avoid getting slashed in two. He crouched low and spun around, taking out the legs of one goblin before plunging his other knife deeply into the chest of another. Jumping lightly back onto his feet, his silver-blue eyes widened in shock when he saw the angrily shrieking mass of mountain goblins rush forward, which had witnessed their companions' deaths and were not taking too kindly to it.  
  
'I don't have time for this,' he thought furiously and kicked the bodies of the dead goblins out of his way. 'First the snow, now this! I will never get off this mountain!'  
  
The fair haired prince shifted his feet into a better fighting stance and prepared to meet the onslaught. Sending the first goblin to meet him crash backwards with a fierce kick to its mid-section, at least temporarily taking out at least three more when it flew backwards, he blocked a crudely forged scimitar that had been aimed at his stomach and slammed his elbow into the face of the attacking creature while at the same time dispatching another with his left hand.  
  
'And here we are,' he thought sarcastically as he danced to the side to avoid another blade aimed at his body, '_This_ is worse.'  
  
  
  
  
Aragorn moved slowly through the tree, resisting the childish urge to kick protruding tree roots or pebbles out of his way. Now that he had calmed down a little, he could see that his brother had only been trying to help him. Besides, one did not just ignore a command of the Lord of Rivendell concerning the health of one of his children.   
'But this cursed elven smugness of his doesn't make things easier in the slightest!' the young ranger thought, his temper flaring up again.  
  
Sometimes it truly was not easy to grow up and live in an elven household as the only human within a radius of many miles. As a child he had had a hard time adjusting to the fact that there always was someone better or faster or stealthier than he, and that he attracted attention for his own relative gracelessness and clumsiness. His brothers and father had done everything in their power to ease those feelings and make him feel accepted, but sometimes the twins' elven nature got the better of them.  
  
Too deeply in thought to pay much attention to his surroundings, Aragorn made his way to the last set of snares he knew to be hidden close to one of the lone big oak tree just at the edge of the shallow ravine, shallow, that is, in comparison to the gorge Rivendell itself was located in.   
  
'I will check that trap and then return back home. As soon as I get back I will apologize to Elrohir, and I still need to think of a comeback for that green haired demon-brother of mine…'  
  
His musings were interrupted when he heard the unmistakably sound of a twig snapping. Raising his eyes, the dark haired human studied his surroundings intensely. Now that he actually thought about it, it seemed awfully quiet, and his senses whispered softly of danger approaching him. It was not the overpowering feeling one got when dealing with orcs; it was a lot more subtle, but the underlying feeling of menace was just the same.  
Moving one hand to the hilt of his broadsword and letting the other one linger close to his bow, he began to move carefully into the direction of the oak tree. If he had to fight, he would prefer to do so with something to cover his back.  
  
He couldn't have done more than two dozen steps before he saw a group of people emerge from the small forest to the left of him, moving quickly to get between him and his chosen place of battle. Aragorn hurried his steps while at the same time drawing his bow and notching an arrow, wincing as the strain on his left side pulled against the stitches there and trying not to think of what his father would say once he heard about this.  
When he was about fifty metres away from the tree, the beings that moved in to intercept him took shape and he understood what had unconsciously put him off about this group: They were all human.   
'What is a group of fifteen humans doing here?' he asked himself confused.  
  
Waiting for them to come a bit closer, he finally challenged them, his arrow pointing unwaveringly at one of the men.  
  
"Halt! You are inside elven territory! These lands belong to Lord Elrond of Rivendell. What do you want? Explain yourselves!"  
  
One of the men, tall, with brown hair and dark, cruel eyes just laughed at his words. Aragorn had a hard time hiding the scowl that formed on his face. He didn't like this one at all.  
  
"Put down that bow, boy, you might hurt someone," the man said and took a step closer.  
  
The young human drew the string of the bow tauter and said, silver eyes flashing,  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. I will ask only one more time: What do you want here?"  
  
Fixing dark eyes on Aragorn and taking another step forward, the human replied,  
  
"You haven't figured that one out yourself yet? Why, _you_, of course!"  
  
Aragorn barely had the time to release his arrow and see it fell one of the humans before he had to draw his sword and defend himself against the wave of enemies that seemed to press in on him from all directions. Using his slightly superior reflexes and speed, he managed to hold them at bay for a while, but he knew this wouldn't last. He was horribly outnumbered, and didn't even have something to protect his back.  
Parrying a stroke that had been aimed at his sword-arm, he smashed his left fist into the face of his attacker, knocking him to the ground.   
  
'Four, no, curse them, three down, twelve to go. This is not good," he mused, falling back into the direction of the tree. If he reached it, he would stand a chance, perhaps.  
  
'Whom am I kidding?' he thought as he ducked a blow from a club to his head, 'Even then there are too many of them. Sweet Eru, what do they _ want_ from me?'  
  
If they had been orcs or goblins or something similar, it would have been a lot easier, but these were men, and he would not kill them if he had any other option left. He stifled a scream when a fist connected with his injured side, nearly causing him to drop his sword.  
  
'It seems my list of options is growing thin indeed,' he noted dryly, shaking his head to clean his field of vision of grey spots and feeling the rough bark of the oak at his back, 'Where is Legolas when you need him? Probably enjoying his nice little trip here.'   
Glad that at least this time his friend was not forced to fight for his life and at the same time sorely missing his assistance, Aragorn defended his position with renewed vigour and assessed his situation.  
One already wounded human against at least ten healthy opponents: Not good. The only thing that seemed to be saving him at the moment was that, apparently, they wanted to take him alive. The blows were only aimed to disarm or disable, not to kill.  
  
'They have been planning this!' he suddenly understood while fending off an attacker who had grown much too bold, 'This is the perfect place for an ambush! There is nowhere I can go, with the ravine behind me and them in front of me, only a single tree and no shelter…'  
  
A desperate plan was beginning to form in his mind, the kind of plan that is only born out of the most dire situations.  
'It could work,' the young ranger thought as he moved swiftly to the right, escaping a strike to his midsection that would have skewered him where he stood. They were obviously getting a bit tired with the continued resistance their quarry was putting up.  
  
He suddenly moved forward into an attack position, startling his attackers by this seemingly suicidal manoeuvre. Slashing left and right to gain a bit of space, he suddenly turned around and, thrusting his blade into his belt, jumped straight upwards into the tree, grasping a low hanging branch and pulling himself up as fast as he could.  
He managed to pull up his left leg just in time to escape the hand of the dark haired leader and hoisted himself up into the branches, wincing as he felt stitches burst and soon gasping for breath. He ignored the excited shouts below him and did not stifle a grim smile when he saw the human's attempts to follow him.  
  
'They should try and climb a tree a bit more often,' he thought with malicious glee, climbing higher and closer to the branch he had chosen as a jump-off point.   
  
Aragorn knew that hiding in a tree wouldn't solve his problems, so he had thought of something else: A century or so ago Elladan had dared his younger elven brother to jump across this very ravine from one tree to another. Elrohir had accepted, of course, and really had managed to cross the small gorge, even if he had miscalculated somewhat and missed the tree on the other side. From what he had gathered, Elrond had _not_ been happy having to splint Elrohir's numerous broken bones, but the fact remained: He had managed to jump the distance.  
  
Trying to pierce the still dense foliage, the young ranger tried to make out if any of the humans had managed to follow him; if they hadn't already, they would do so soon, and even if they moved clumsily, they would catch up with him. He had to hurry.  
  
Pushing aside the pain in his now fiercely hurting side, he reached the branch that projected the farthest from the trunk over the little ravine. It was a long, relatively smooth thick branch; he should be able to run over the whole length relatively fast. Surveying the distance in front of him, he breathed deeply to calm his racing heart. If Elrohir could do this, so could he.  
  
'But Elrohir is an elf, you idiot,' a tiny voice inside his head stated, causing the human to frown. His only hope was that since the time the twins had tried their little stunt the trees had grown closer together. Plucking up his courage, he ignored the sound of snapping branches below him and prepared to run.  
  
He had just taken a few steps when he slid to a full stop, waving his arms madly to keep his balance.  
A figure had dropped down right in front of him, and when it righted itself, Aragorn could see that it was an elf, of Noldorin descent, by the looks of him. The elf grinned at him, a grin that almost reminded the ranger of a predator about to pounce and so full of hate that he couldn't suppress the shiver of fear that raced down his spine.  
  
"And just where do you think you're going, _edan_?"  
  
The dark haired elf took a step forward and reached out to grab the young human's overcoat, but Aragorn hastily took a step back, looking over his shoulder, just to freeze when he saw another strange elf stand behind him close to the trunk of the oak tree. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, he frantically looked around himself for a way to escape, but there was nowhere for him to go. The elf in front of him took another step towards him, a malicious light shining in his eyes, causing Aragorn to shrink back instinctively and move backwards on the branch. A small unevenness caused the ranger to pitch forward slightly, and when he sensed a movement behind him and tried to move away from it at the same moment, he lost completely what was left of his balance, something which hadn't happened to him for more than ten years.  
  
As if watching the whole scene unfold from a different and curiously detached point of view, he realized calmly that the last move had been a real mistake. Unable to regain his balance, he felt his feet slip out from under him and he tumbled over the edge of the branch, his mind too shocked and frozen in fear to even utter the panicked shout that rang in his mind.  
Plummeting towards the looming ground and painfully hitting seemingly every single branch on his way down, Aragorn had barely enough time to realize what was happening to him before he hit the ground with a sickening crash and everything went dark.  
  
  
  
  
  
**TBC ...**  
  
  
  
  
_edain - humans (pl.)  
mellonamin - my friend  
edan - human, man (sg.)  
ada -father (daddy)  
  
  
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**What will happen to Aragorn? Will Legolas be able to escape the goblins? Who the heck is this evil elf? The answers to these questions and much more in the next post, which will be here soon - if you review! *g* Come on, you know the routine by now, drop me a few lines, make me happy and I will post more! Please? Please Please Please??**  
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**Additional A/N:  
  
**Mouse - Thank you! *blushes* I am doing my best! And, well: Legolas won't see Aragorn for a while, but when he finally does, he will certainly throw a fit! Hm, or Aragorn will throw a fit, or they will _both_ throw a fit ... SCARY vision!! *g*  
Aurienia - Mhahaha! *evil cackle* Blackmail ALWAYS works! And it's such a nice feeling, too ... *dreamy sigh* Ah well. I will not stop updating, never fear, I may not be able to keep up the pace, but I will not stop! Never! *shakes fist* Uhm, where did _that_ come from? *confused look* Thanks for the review!  
Seanthi - You decorated your sister's room while she was sleeping? Cool!! I'm very impressed! The worst thing I ever did was pour a bottle of glue (a very big one!) over my brother's head - boy, was he angry! I had to run really fast ... *g* Yes, I pity Thranduil and Elrond sometimes, I would have gone insane a long time ago! Resilient like hobbits, these two... *g* Thanks so much for your review! I hope you'll enjoy the rest as well!  
Lina - *looks at Eomer the big content dog* Okay, now that's just weird ... And how many times have I told you not to slap my characters? Hm? I _need_ them!! And I like writing them, especially the evil ones! (I know, that's not normal! *g*) Don't be angry, Lina, I'm sure Elladan was only joking when he complained about the room, it's very nice, really ... Oh, and one last thing: Keep Eomer out of my rooms! He could at least get off his horse, for crying out loud!! He IS stupid, that one ... *grumbles*  
Melly-chan - Well, is that enough trouble for now? Believe me, Legolas will get into a whole lot MORE next chapter, and Estel as well ... Now why aren't we surprised? *g* Thank you very much for your review!  
ThE iNsAnE oNe - *pats Legolas' back* Don't worry, darling, you DON'T look like an idiot, you are very sweet ... as is the story ... Oh, and about the when-is-Legolas-going-to-meet-Aragorn-thing: I don't know. I haven't decided yet. Well, I guess you _could_ say they meet in ch.9 ... kind of ... *evil cackle* Did I mention I LOVE to know things other people don't??  
Reginabean - *peers over the edge of the cliff* Hello? HELLO?? Reginabean? You down there somewhere? *turns and shrugs* Well, I guess that last chapter was too much for her ... couldn't take it ... poor girl ... *walks away mumbling under her breath*  
Ciria - Well, thank you, I'm a bit proud of that chapter-ending myself ... but I think I like this one better ... *evil grin* Did you just request Estel-torture? Well, I'll see what I can do - IF he regains consciousness, that is ...My, my, my, you are quite blood-thirsty, aren't you? Now you want to see poor Legolas hurt as well? *edges closer to Ciria* Well, don't tell anyone, but *whispers* he gets injured next chapter! *looks around for angry Legolas fans* Phew! No one heard me!! *hands Ciria an Estel plushie* Yes, you are correct! Estel would indeed blame himself (as does the whole family! *g*), and he will do so in due time. Just wait a little... Thanks for the review!!  
Jenny - Okay, Jenny, there are no more cliffhangers coming! *fake smile* Really! Just forget about this one, and everything will be fine!! LOL, sorry, there's nothing I can do - my alter ego just loves them and who am I to argue with myself? *g* Sorry!!  
YunaDax - Well, what can I say, I love them as well! But the focus here is still on our fav ranger and elf prince, I'm afraid - but don't worry, they will be there for the whole story! Thanks for the review!  
Alilacia - You think "The Calm Before the Storm" sounds ominous? What would you say if I told you the title of the next chapter is "From Bad to Worse"?? Hm?? *evil grin* Ah, I love tormenting my readers... Yeah, the extended DVD is great, isn't it! I LOVE it!! *huggles her DVD box* So many nice, pretty, new scenes!! You haven't seen TTT yet? My God, how did you survive?? You sure you aren't dead? I would have died!! I saw it on Dec. 22th, and waiting for four days was hell!! *g*  
Alexa - Oww, I'm sorry about your finger, but I just LOVE reviews!! Must - have - more - need - more ... *g* Well, as I said, he will get to Rivendell in chapter 8, I think, but that won't help you, I'm afraid ... *evil grin* Thank you very much for all your compliments! They are responsible for the grin I have adopted recently... *g*  
Carrie - See? I told you I would need them!! *holds up pink fluffy earmuffs* And don't pull your hair, it won't help in the slightest, you won't learn his name sooner than ch 8, so relax! Breathe ... that's it, good girl! *g* And nothing will happen to our Estel ... falling out of trees ... getting captured by evil elves ... same old, same old ... *evil grin* And: I have posted, so you have to as well!! Please?? I need to know what happens to my baby!! Please?  
Zam - Happy now? NOW he is in danger, and just wait for the next chapter ... *g* Well, you are a comrade-in-arms, then! I absolutely HATE spiders! I'm even mortally afraid of them! I know, it's horrible! I'm not that kind of girl, but I can't help myself! *looks at Zam* 'Closed eyes staring contest', huh? You two are weird, you know that!? I really pity your family - and your town - and your country!! And you are a dwarf? Ah yes, I forgot, then you need a new one - what was the dwarvish battle cry again? Something like 'Khazad aimenu' or something like that? Gosh, it's getting dangerous here ... The insane One has a warg named Fred, yours is named George ... *hides behind Stan the balrog* Help!!!  
Jitterbug - So, let me guess - you are a Legolas fan?? Ain't I clever? Thanks so much for your kind words! I'm glad you like it!  
Salara - Huh, was fuer 'ne Ehre!! Wenn das nicht die andere Haelfte ist, die hinter den wunderbaren Stories steckt!! *g* Du bist also ein Elrond-Fan? Ich mag ihn auch, er kommt bei mir bei den Elben gleich an fuenfter Stelle! Hinter Legolas, den Zwillingen und Glorfindel, versteht sich ... Ausserdem bin ich ein wenig Matrix-geschaedigt, glaube ich, v.a. wenn man beide Filme mindestens zehnmal auf Englisch gesehen hat und er da natuerlich die gleiche Stimme hat!! Unheimlich ... *g* Frieda also von rent-a-balrog, ja? Das ist aber ein ganz perfider Plan, den ihr da ausgeheckt habt... Macht euch aber keine zu grossen Hoffnungen!! Stan ist nicht so pflichtvergessen, dass er sich von einem huebschen Gesicht einfach so ablenken liesse ... Vielen Dank fuer die review!! Ich LIEBE review, erwaehnte ich das?? *g*  
Marbienl - Well, after what has happened to them on their own, I don't know whether it's prudent to let them meet each other ... *g* And this is only the beginning... *g* As I said, it will take Legolas a few more days to arrive, but don't worry, he will get there - eventually... *evil grin*  
ManuKu - *verbeugt sich* Danke danke danke, ich bin noch die ganze Woche hier, vergessen Sie nicht, eine kleine Spende am Ausgang zu hinterlegen... *g* Wie ich schon sagte, Stan wird sich nicht so einfach den Kopf verdrehen lassen, ich kann ja einfach warten, bis euch das Geld ausgeht, und selbst wenn die Reporter bis zu mir durchkommen, da sind ja schliesslich noch die Nâzgul, die wohnen naemlich in meinem Badezimmer - frag lieber nicht... *g* Danke fuer die review!!   
  
**Thanks again for all the reviews! I LOVE them! That means, I love every single one of you!! *hugs them* Thank you! *slyly* If you write another one, I will love you even more!! Hey hey hey, don't worry - just kidding ...**  
  
  



	7. From Bad To Worse

**Disclaimer: **For full disclaimer, please see chapter 1.  
  
  
**A/N:  
  
*peeks out of her hiding place* Gosh, I didn't know you all had such strong feelings concerning cliffhangers ... *g* I'm terribly sorry ... wait, that's not really correct, I'm not, but still, don't worry, the next cliffy is coming in chapter 9, I think, so lots and lots of time till then...  
  
But, hey, look at all the reviews!! So many!! *happy grin* And they are mine ... my own ... my precious ... *hits herself* Sorry. That happens sometimes ... there's nothing I can do ... *g*  
  
So, and once again I've learnt something:   
  
Blackmail + Evil Cliffy = Lots of lovely reviews  
  
A very simple equation, really! Note to self: More cliffies. *g*  
  
Okay, because I promised you to update quickly (even if I don't have time. *sniff* God, I hate college sometimes!!), here is chapter 7, in which Legolas sees a lot more of the mountain goblins than he actually wanted to and the Elrond/Elladan/Elrohir-angst session begins! *evil grin*  
  
Enjoy and don't forget to review! (Hm, as if you could since that's a word I use about as frequently as 'and'... *g*)  
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Chapter 7  
  
  
Nólad watched the human fall off the branch, his mind still battling against the shock he felt for not having been able to grab him quickly enough. Hearing the boy's body hit the ground with a dull thud and the startled shouts of the other men below him, he shot his friend a furtive glance before climbing back down as quickly as he could. The other elf kept staring blankly at the spot the human had occupied just mere moments earlier, but drew himself out of his thoughts and followed his fair haired companion, a cold fury slowly spreading on his face.  
  
'I have not gone through all this trouble to have him die on me now!' he thought furiously as he let go of the last branch and landed softly on the ground.  
  
Walking over to the body of the human that lay close to the trunk of the oak tree in a crumpled heap, he pushed his way through the throng of humans who were standing about in a loose circle, whispering excitedly among themselves.  
His dark eyes searched the small crowd for Donyc and he finally found the human commander standing next to Nólad, who was kneeling alongside the ranger and turning him over carefully.  
He pressed through the humans all around him and came to stand close to the dark haired human. Grabbing his shirt sleeve, he hissed,  
  
"How did this happen?"  
  
Donyc tore his eyes that were blazing with anger away from the young human to fix them on the elf's irate face.  
  
"How did what happen, Master Elf?"  
  
The dark haired elf scowled and tightened his grip on the human's arm, his face distorting into a grimace of pure fury.  
  
"Don't play games with me, Donyc! You know what I mean! How did he escape you? You were supposed to capture him quickly, but instead he holds you off with some success and even escapes into a tree? You promised me that you and your men would be able to subdue him quickly! Explain that to me, _ Master Human_!"  
  
Donyc shook off his hand and took a step back, now just as angry as the elf.   
  
"You told me he was an injured boy, barely more than twenty summers of age! Yet what we get to fight is something more akin to a seasoned elven warrior! Why didn't you tell me he was a ranger? He killed Vaemar, one of my best men! Besides, _we_ didn't startle him so he fell out of that blasted tree, _you_ did! And I have never seen a human climb a tree that skilfully, he must have been part elf or something!"  
  
"Is, Donyc. He is not dead," Nólad's interrupted their argument, making their heads swivel into the direction of his voice.  
  
"Are you sure of that?" the human questioned and took a good look at the bloody, twisted body of the ranger, not knowing if he should feel angry or pleased.  
  
"Yes, I am," the fair haired elf replied, the ghost of a smile visible at the corners of his mouth. He returned his attention to the body of the young human in front of him.  
  
"He was lucky. _Very_ lucky. I think he might have cracked a few ribs on his way down and he definitely has a concussion," he pulled back an eyelid to peer into a slightly dilated and unfocused grey eye, "But apart from this and a lot of scratches and bruises he should be fine." He pointed at a gash on Aragorn's temple that bled sluggishly and added, "What worries me most is his side wound. The stitches have burst and he is loosing quite a lot of blood."  
  
"Can you treat him?" his friend asked, fixing dark eyes on the other elf.  
  
Nólad looked down at the unconscious body of the human, frowning in thought.  
  
"Yes, I think so. I will need my bags though," he answered, already unbuttoning the human's dark shirt.  
  
Donyc turned and snapped his fingers at one of his men, who was sporting what would be a spectacular black eye in a few hours.  
  
"You. Get the bags."  
  
Watching the other human move into the direction of the little glade where they had hidden their horses, he turned back to the dark haired elf who was still gazing thoughtfully at the unconscious human.  
  
"We need to move. They will come and look for him."  
  
"No," the elf replied, turning to look at the man, "The elf who was with him won't reach Rivendell before sunset, and then it will be too late to search for him. They will set out early tomorrow morning."  
  
"Still, we shouldn't linger for too long. Let us find another spot to camp." Donyc didn't look too pleased at the prospect of meeting any of the human's elven friends. Friends that wouldn't take too kindly to the human's current condition.  
  
'No,' he thought, shuddering slightly when he imagined that encounter, 'I'm certainly no coward, but there are things a sensible person avoids, and confronting angry elf lords is one of them.'  
  
The voice of his employer interrupted his thoughts.  
  
"Perhaps you are right. Staying here for too long wouldn't be prudent. How soon can we leave?"  
  
Donyc hesitated for a moment, calculating distances in his mind.  
  
"In about an hour, I think. We will need to get the horses and to bury Vaemar," he answered, renewed anger burning in his eyes as he looked down at Aragorn who was being treated by Nólad.  
  
"Very well," the dark haired elf replied and bent down to remove something from the unconscious man's cloak, "Take his weapons and bind him once Nólad is finished with him. Do you have any specific place in mind to pitch camp tonight? Something not too far away from here; we will need to leave very early tomorrow morning in order to avoid their search parties."  
  
"Yes," the human commander nodded, "There is a little wood not too far from here on the other side of the ravine. We should be able to reach it in about half an hour, I think. The trees grow densely enough there to provide some shelter, and we will need it; a storm is coming tonight."  
  
"No, Master Human," the elf replied with a dark smile, "The storm is already upon us, and nothing will be able to oppose it."  
  
Closing his fist tightly on the object he had taken from the ranger, he turned and walked away, letting out a short, cold laugh, leaving the men behind shivering with a sudden fear of what was to come.  
  
  
  
  
The sun was already sinking when Elrohir finally saw the gates of his home appear in front of his eyes. After he had checked the last of the traps, he had surprisingly found the tracks of an impressive buck, and just couldn't resist the temptation to hunt it. He had found it about three hours from here and killed it with a clean shot, but after carrying the _very_ impressive buck for full three hours on his back, he began to question his sanity when he had decided to hunt this animal that weighted about the equivalent of a small troll when he was alone, without even a horse to help him bear the burden.  
'Estel is right,' he thought grumpily as he crossed the gates of his home, 'I am stupid.'  
  
He handed the animal over to an elf who worked in the kitchen and wearily climbed the steps that led to the main house, just to be greeted by the cheerful voice of his twin.  
  
"Tired already, brother?"  
  
Turning to tell his brother in no unclear terms to leave him alone and be quiet, he looked at Elladan and instantly noticed the wicked gleam that shone brightly in his eyes.  
Sighing inwardly, he wished again that the Valar had given him a pair of cave trolls for brothers, or orcs, even spiders couldn't be as annoying as the two he had been gifted with.  
  
'What has he done now?' he wondered, rubbing his head and glancing at his brother, 'His hair is almost back to black now; you can hardly see the green anymore if you don't know what to look for. He can really bear a grudge for quite some time! Especially when he is bored.'  
  
He sat down on a stone bench left from the stairs and asked his smirking twin,  
  
"The bed or the door?"  
  
Elladan gave his brother a look of fake innocence that did not fool the younger twin for a second. It had been _him_ who had invented it more than 2500 years ago, after all.  
  
"Just what are you implying, Elrohir? I would never do something to that bed, you know how father is with the furniture…"  
  
"The door it is, then," Elrohir stated and couldn't quite hide a smile. Elladan's pranks were even better than his own, and that meant a lot in his opinion.  
  
Elladan grinned.  
"Yes, my dear brother, the door. I can hardly wait to see his face when he… By the way, where _is_ Estel?" he asked, his eyes darting behind his brother, expecting to see the young man make his way towards the house.  
  
The smile on Elrohir's face faded when he looked up at his elven brother's face, wrinkling his forehead in confusion and growing concern.  
  
"What do you mean, where is he? Isn't he here already?"  
  
Elladan shook his head, his eyes studying the other elf's face.  
"No, he isn't. He left with _you_, Elrohir!"  
  
"There is no need to tell me things I already know!" Elrohir snapped, his worry causing him to lash out at his brother. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before looking up and meeting Elladan's eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry, brother. Yes, we left together, but we had a little argument a while later and separated. He told me he would go and check the snares near the little ravine, you know which one," the younger twin explained. "He should have come back about an hour ago!"  
  
The twins exchanged worried looks, but before Elladan could open his mouth to say something, their father's voice interrupted him.  
  
"Elladan! Would you please explain to me what is wrong with the door leading to Estel's room? There is a nearly frantic servant girl in my study claiming…" he trailed off when he saw his sons' serious faces.  
  
"What is it?" he asked and stepped closer, "Is someone hurt?"  
Realizing with a start that his youngest son was missing, he asked with a worried glance, "Where is Estel?"  
  
Elrohir waited for his brother to answer Elrond's question.   
'Sometimes I am happy I'm the younger one,' he thought darkly.  
  
"We don't know, _ada_," Elladan admitted softly.  
  
"We separated at about noon, I think. He thought I was being over-protective and wanted to check the traps to the north near that little ravine himself," Elrohir added, casting down his eyes.  
  
The Lord of Rivendell stood perfectly still and looked at the two worried faces in front of him.  
"Then he should have been back some time ago," he muttered softly, as if to himself.  
  
Elrohir rose and prepared to make his way back down into the courtyard, Elladan on his heels.  
"I will get the search party ready," he told his father in a toneless voice.  
  
"Elrohir," the soft voice of his father caused the younger elf who was about to walk down the stairs to stop and turn back, "This is folly, and you know it. The sun is setting, and in an hour it will be too dark for you to see anything. You would do more harm than good."  
Trying to cheer his sons up, he added, "Perhaps there is nothing wrong at all and he is merely late."  
  
Elladan turned wide, worried eyes on his father.  
"You know that is not true, father. There is something wrong, I can feel it. And so can you."  
  
Elrond let himself sink down on the bench previously occupied by his son and sighed deeply.  
  
"Aye, my son, you are right. I have been dreading something like this for some time now and always hoped it wouldn't come to pass, but fate, it seems, has once again caught up with me. Just like it has done so many times in the past," he whispered and lowered his eyes.  
  
A moment later he felt himself being encircled by the strong arms of his younger elven son.  
  
"Don't worry, _ada_, Estel's going to be fine. We will leave tomorrow as soon as the sun has risen," Elrohir told his father softly as he hugged him tightly.  
  
Elladan stepped closer and laid a hand on his father's shoulder.  
"He's right. We will find him and bring him back so you can patch him up again and force him to stay in the bed he will be desperate to leave when Legolas arrives in a few days. The prince will be so angry with him for putting himself in danger!"  
  
Elrond smiled for the sake of his sons and rose, putting an arm around each of his elven sons' shoulders and walking towards the main doors.  
"You are right. We will find him. Tomorrow," he told them and stressed the last word, sending Elrohir a stern look.  
  
"Yes, father," the twins echoed and Elladan added, watching the darkening sky and noting the way the wind was beginning to pick up in anticipation of the change in weather, "A storm is brewing. It will have reached us in an hour or so."  
  
Elrond glanced at the sky and suppressed a shudder before fixing troubled grey eyes on the door.  
  
"That it will, my son. That it will."  
  
  
  
  
'This is worse. This is_ much_ worse,' the Prince of Mirkwood muttered inwardly as he pressed his body against the rocks to the right of him, trying to ignore both the gaping chasm to his left and the biting sting in his side that flared to new levels of pain when it touched the hard stone wall. His hand strayed to his right side, touching the still bleeding wound that was hidden below his cloak.  
'I should count myself lucky 'tis all I received,' he thought darkly. There had been quite a lot of the goblins, and he had been hard-pressed to defeat all of them. Somehow a few had managed to escape and alert their companions to his presence, and soon Legolas had found himself on the run from a large horde of angry mountain goblin. Not a situation he appreciated at all, for wood-elves do not flee easily before their foes.   
  
Bringing himself back to the present, the fair haired elf took a quick look at his horse that was standing just behind him, nose nearly pressing into Legolas' back and tail swishing angrily. The animal looked as if it had had enough of their little game of hide-and-seek in this less than hospitable environment.  
'As do I,' he admitted, shaking his head to get rid of the snow that had accumulated on top of his hair.  
  
Leaning forward slightly and cautiously peering around the corner, Legolas studied the scene that opened up in front of his eyes.   
He had almost reached the end of the High Pass, close to the point where the path would start its descent down into the lands of Eriador. Beyond this point lay safety, for the goblins would not risk to be found by the sun's rays so far away from their caves and holes, and didn't dare to stray too far even in the night.  
  
'Unfortunately,' he thought wryly, watching the mass of mountain goblins that crowded the path, 'They know that as well.'  
  
He resigned himself to the fact that he would have to do something if he didn't want to spend the rest of his days on Arda playing hide-and-seek with a bunch of ugly, smelly goblins, which wouldn't be too long anyway if one considered the way things were going right now.   
He turned his eyes to the sky and cursed under his breath; it was just his kind of luck to run into goblins on a day when not even an elf could see the sun. And now darkness was falling, which didn't help his situation in the slightest, either.  
  
A shudder raced through his tall frame, slowly even his elven body began to feel the cold.  
'No wonder,' he mused. 'I have been walking through this cursed snowstorm for the whole day now. Aragorn would have started complaining a long time ago!'  
  
The thought of his friend filled him with a new resolve to get off the mountains as quickly as possible. He didn't only have the feeling that the young human was in danger, he just _knew_ it. Legolas pushed aside his fears for the well being of his friends and forced himself to assess his situation calmly.   
  
There were at least thirty mountain goblins on the path, and the longer he waited, the more would come to join their ranks. He needed to do something, the sooner the better.   
  
'There are too many to kill them in close combat, they would overwhelm me before I would have the chance to fell even a third of them, and this place is not as favourable as the last. But if I were somehow removed from their reach, I could…'  
  
A plan forming in his mind, the fair haired prince turned to his horse and softly whispered instructions into its ears. The white horse looked at him with big eyes and nodded its head, ears twitching slightly. Satisfied the animal would do as he had asked, Legolas patted the horse's neck one last time and turned to the rough stone wall to his right. Grasping a little ledge, he began to swiftly climb up, soon leaving the snowy ground far behind.   
After a few minutes he had cursed this idea about a dozen times and decided that climbing trees was a much more rewarding and interesting pastime, not to mention safer, since there was virtually no tree that would allow a wood-elf to fall. Nor would a wood-elf fall off a tree in the first place.  
  
'But this wall,' he grumbled inwardly, 'seems intend on shifting and crumbling under my very hands and feet! Valar, what was I thinking? I am no dwarf, and the minds of rocks are nothing I can comprehend! Nor do I wish to!'  
  
Finally reaching the narrow shelf about forty feet above the path he had seen from his position on the ground, he pulled himself up and sat down on the ledge to regain his breath. The wound had troubled him more than he liked to admit. Pushing away his blood-soaked shirt and leather vest, he inspected it closely. It was not too long, but rather deep, a testimony to the fact that not even an elf could hope to escape four blades at once. Looking at the ragged cut, Legolas winced when he let the fabric of his tunic fall back over the wound and decided,  
'Well, it is a lot better than losing my head to that other goblin. It was either this or getting cut into pieces. Besides, both of them are dead now.'  
  
He got back to his feet with this rather encouraging thought on his mind and sure-footedly moved along the ledge, carefully edging closer to the goblins until he was right above their heads. Notching an arrow to his bow, he looked around for some cover and shrugged when he couldn't find anything even resembling said word.   
Well, he thought, you couldn't have everything, could you? He would have to take out their archers before they made out his position. Sinking down on one knee to present as small a target as possible, he took a deep breath, aimed at a particularly big goblin with a crude longbow, and let his arrow fly with deadly accuracy.  
  
Before the goblin on the path had even collapsed onto the ground, his dark blood spilling onto the white snow, four more had joined him, and the goblins slowly began to comprehend that their quarry had somehow managed to outwit them. Shouting curses in their foul language that made the elf above them cringe in disgust, they ran into each other in their attempt to reach some cover from the deadly rain of arrows, which gave Legolas enough time to fell at least ten more easily before he had to take his time and take aim more carefully.   
  
Ducking an arrow from one of the few archers which had survived his initial attack, he let loose his own that hit a goblin that had been so careless to poke its head around the rock it had been hiding behind. Reaching for another one out of his now rapidly depleting supply of arrows, Legolas had just enough time to throw himself to the side when he heard a slight noise above him, which was soon replaced by a mighty crash when a boulder hit the exact place he had been only seconds earlier.  
  
Blinking through the still slowly falling snow, the prince rolled onto his back and released the arrow he had just grabbed, hitting one of the goblins in one eye that peered down on him from another ledge just above the one he himself occupied right now.  
Legolas rolled further to the side, avoiding the body of the dead goblin that joined the boulder on the ledge with a dull thud, and cursed himself for not expecting them to know the mountains better than he did. _Of course_ they would know of a way to get behind his back, with this maze of mountain paths and tunnels…  
  
Pushing the pain in his side aside that protested against his sudden actions, he rolled to his feet, just as the three other goblins jumped down, having decided to abandon their attempts to crush him and try the direct approach of gutting him for a change.  
  
Legolas let go of his bow and drew his daggers instead, lashing out with his left to bury one of the silver knifes between the ribs of one of them. Wrenching it free from the body of the dying goblin, he jumped backwards and ducked to avoid the scimitar that cut through the air above his head. He had just blocked the other goblin's blade when he felt his elven senses scream at him in sheer panic. Obeying his inner voice, he let himself drop down onto the ledge just in time to dodge a black arrow that had been aimed at his back, but imbedded itself in the chest of the goblin closest to Legolas instead and propelled it right over the edge of the cliff.   
  
Still recovering from his slightly abrupt fall that had caused his wound to make its displease with his actions felt all too clearly, the fair haired elf had just enough time to get to his feet and fend off the remaining mountain goblin, which was obviously unhappy with the way things were going and intend to get rid of this troublesome elf as soon as possible.  
  
Slightly winded from his encounter with the rather hard stone floor, Legolas couldn't block the second knife that had somehow found its way into the hands of his attacker and was only able to twist his body to the side, so that instead of slitting his throat the blade made contact with his left shoulder, cutting through skin and muscles to leave a long, bloody gash.  
Instead of recoiling as his body strongly urged him to do, Legolas gasped in pain, moved forward and buried the knife in his right hand in the creature's neck, killing it instantly.  
  
Breathing heavily and cradling his bleeding arm with his right, he wondered for a moment what his father would say if he could see him now.  
'Probably something like "I told you so, Legolas!"' he decided, wincing in pain. 'And then he would chain me to the wall of my bedroom and never allow me to leave the palace again.'  
  
Making up his mind not to mention this little episode to anyone who did not absolutely need to know, if he survived this in the first place of course, he edged forward slightly to survey the scene below him. Even though it felt as if he had been fighting with the goblins for ages, no more than two minutes had gone by. The goblins that had survived his arrows were slowly starting to reappear from their hiding places, numbering no more than fifteen now. Legolas set his jaw firmly; it was time to end this.  
  
He let out a loud, shrill whistle that made the goblins below look up in search of the source of this strange sound, only to be met with a new volley of arrows that rained down on them.  
Felling the last goblin archer he could see, Legolas jumped down onto a narrow shelf about six feet below him, and loosened two more arrows in rapid succession. Repeating this manoeuvre a few more times till he was a mere ten feet above the ground, he soon heard the light sound of an approaching elven horse, and, sure enough, his horse appeared round the bend in the path, snorting furiously and lashing out at every goblin within its reach. He waited for the animal to make its way below the ledge he was currently standing on and jumped just when the white horse was passing under it, landing securely on its back.  
  
He spurred his horse on and, slashing at every creature that came within reach of his daggers, left the remaining goblins behind, disappearing down the winding path that made its way down into the lower lands of Eriador.  
  
After a while he reined in his horse and allowed it to fall into a slower gait, listening for sounds of pursuit. When he could hear none, he gave a satisfied nod and allowed himself to relax slightly.   
  
"_Diola lle, mellonamin_," Legolas whispered to his horse and patted its neck, which shook its head in a way that clearly said that it knew perfectly well what a great deed it had just performed.  
He shook his head at the animal's antics as he tried to remember a convenient place to camp, he would need to tend to his wounds and get to Imladris as quickly as possible, just in case one of the cuts was poisoned, even if he did not think so. Wincing inwardly, he tried not to think of the look that Lord Elrond would give him when he arrived there, injured once more.  
One day he would manage to reach it without even a scratch, he promised himself. Not this time, but some time in the future. Perhaps in a century or two.  
  
Allowing his horse to chose its own pace, for in the growing darkness it would be easy for it to trip if he urged it on too fast, he recounted his adventures with a grin.  
  
'Well, that was fun,' he decided, 'Strider would have liked it. Well, except for the climbing-the-stone wall-bit. Humans can be so clumsy at times!'   
Turning serious again, he grimaced in pain when he moved his left arm too quickly.  
  
'Elbereth, please let him be alright!' he prayed as he made his way down the path that would take him to Rivendell, watching the last of the sunlight disappear behind the towering mountain peaks, leaving him in twilight and doubt.  
  
  
  
  
  
**TBC...**  
  
  
  
  
_ada - father (daddy)  
Diola lle, mellonamin - Thank you, my friend  
  
  
Yes, I think I'll have to put another A/N here:  
I know that in TTT, Aragorn says 'Hannon lle' when he thanks Legolas for returning the Evenstar to him. BUT they also say 'mellon-nîn_ ', _ and since I've started with another Elvish dictionary, I will continue using it till I find a better one, and I'm looking, believe me. That may be a little bit childish, but I'm stubborn. *shrugs* Ah well. Just bear with me, will you?   
  
  
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**Stay tuned for the next chapter, in which we learn the evil elf's name! *readers keel over in surprise* Yeah, I know, it's about time after seven chapters ... *g* Thanks a lot for the review you are about to write!! *big grin*   
Reviews have amazing qualities, they make authors very happy and therefore cause them to update sooner - try it and find out for yourselves!! Please? Please please please??  
  
  
  
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Additional A/N:  
  
**Pissy Abyssinian - Thank you! I'm glad you like it! Ah, about the do-elves-sleep-thing: I'm sorry to break this to you, but they actually do! Honestly! There's even a passage somewhere in FOTR or TTT where Tolkien expressly says so, I just can't find it now. There are some people who say that elves don't really sleep, they only rest their minds or something, but they lie down and rest. They don't need as much sleep as humans, apparently, but sometimes even they have to lie down. Whatever. *g*  
Lina - *backs away from Lina who has grabbed Halo's Hammer of Doom* Okay ... calm down ... breathe ... that's it ... *nervous smile* Éomer!! Éomer!! Dammit, where is that blasted Rohirrim when you need him ... LOL, don't worry Lina, you _know_ I would never harm our Estel ... permanently ... *evil grin* He will be alright, in the end, if Elrond and Co. can find him before Donyc and friends ... Oops! I'm not telling! Sorry! *fake smile*  
Nightengale - *draws herself up proudly* Your undivided attention? Wow! That's something!! Thank you! I'm trying to update twice a week, so Saturdays and Tuesdays, even though it may be a few days later sometimes ... Ah well. Sometimes real life can be just horrible ... *g*   
Mouse - Thank you!! *evil grin* I love writing cliffhangers - even though I hate reading them! Does that make me a sadist? Probably, if I told a psychiatrist what kind of stories I write, he would declare me insane anyway ... *g* Well, some people like it! Thanks for your reviews!  
Alexa - Hah, you may have been on the edge on your seat, but I have been stuck in front of the screen! But since I already know what's going to happen, I think that's a lot better ... I love our favourite ranger's family as well, just wait for the next chapter, angst for all of them - and Legolas, and Estel, and ... *evil grin*  
Reginabean - *pulls her up* Gosh, don't expect me to do that again! The next time you decide to throw yourself off a cliff, don't expect me to save you! LOL, okay, it might be my fault in the first place, but what can I say - I love cliffies? Thanks for your lovely reviews!  
Maggie - Right you are, mate! You can _never_ have too much reviews! Thanks for your kind words, I'm glad you like it, and I promise you this won't be slash, I don't like it (even though I know there are lots of people who do - fine by me! *g*), and I could never write it! And if you like cliffhangers so much, I'm sure I can come up with a few more, just for you ... *evil grin*  
Beth - Well, I think it was not 'super-quick', but I hope quickly enough? LOL, El Scruffy Sexy Ranger? *sigh* You could say that ... Thanks for reviewing!!  
Acacia - Well the orcs are ... in their holes ... or on a convention ... I don't know! I don't need them for this story ... at least I think so. And goblins are as good as orcs, aren't they? A bit smaller, but otherwise I never understood the difference! Oh yes! There is Elrohir torment coming up ... and Elladan torment ... and - should I really continue? *evil grin*   
Ciria - Yeah, the shirt thing was born out of experience - my sister always manages to dye clothes the most impossible colours because she is unable to seperate things! Horrible, I can tell you ... *g* *stared wide-eyed* Oh, so you can speak German? I'm very impressed, it's not an easy language to learn, well, at least that's what people say! But your sentence was perfect! *hands Ciria a cookie* Gut gemacht!  
Jenny - *blushes* Thanks! And I'm truly sorry about the cliffy, but I just couldn't resist! I LOVE tormenting my readers, which makes me evil, I know...  
Aurienia - *buries head in hands* Not another one! Why do all the people throw themselves off cliffs? I hope this post was soon enough to save you! *g* Well, when is Legolas going to arrive: Do you really want to know? To be perfectly honest: I don't know. He was supposed to arrive in chapter 9, but the way things are going right now, I don't think he will be able to make it. Well, it's going to be in chapter 10 now, I think ... *g*  
Salara - Danke! Endlich mal jemand, der meine Situation versteht ...*g* Natuerlich musste da ein Cliffy hin! Und danke fuer all die Komplimente, hab ich doch gar nicht verdient ... *rot werd* Aber danke! *g* Hoert man doch immer gerne ... Matrix ist ja auch ein toller Film, nech? Agent Smith is einfach wundervoll - auch wenn Keanu-Baby nicht zu verachten ist ... *g*  
Larus - Hah! You are the ultimate proof! Blackmail works!! *runs away cackling evilly* I love the twins as well - doh! since I'm writing a story about them ... Don't worry! Your review is not boring or something! *hugs her* Thanks a lot for submitting it, it's always great to know what people think about your story!  
Gemstone - Thanks! I'm glad you liked it! This one is not quite as dramatic, but I hope interesting none the less! *g*  
Alilacia - Yes, I think elves don't like snow so much, I'm always thinking of the expresson on Legolas' face when they attempt to travel over Caradhras ... *snicker* TTT rocks! It's just soooo cool! I've seen it a mere four times, and I'm planning to continue to watch it until I know it by heart! Which won't be any time soon, since I've seen FOTR about fifteen times and still don't know it completely ... Ah well. I still have time. *g*  
Lievre - *innocent expression* You don't like cliffhangers? Why didn't you tell me? *evil cackle* Me? Torture my Estel baby? Whatever gave you that idea? *Lievre points at last chapter* Well, what can I say - it won't happen again? What the heck, of course it will, because I LOVE it!! *evil grin* I hope this is soon enough for you?!  
Stasia - *pats her back* Calm down ... the naxt chapter is here, don't worry ... see, you can read it ... *g* Don't let Aragorn hear you calling him a 'child'! I don't think he would be too happy about that ... *blushes scarlet* Thank you! I'm doing my best, I'm glad you like it! English is quite an easy language to learn, so it's not too hard ... but there are still a lot of things I'm not sure about. 'Death from unhappiness'? Ack! That can happen? God, I'm doomed! *opens document and furiously rewrites chapter 8 and 9* So, all better now! No more tension ... or violence ... er evil elves ... or cliffies ... *g*  
ThE iNsAnE oNe - Fred!!! FRED!!! Come here!! *curses under her breath* Stupid ugly warg ... wait a moment! *pulls out large plate with potatoes on it* Look at this!! Hah, let's see what he'll do _now_ ... Well, about the meeting thing - theyarenotgoingtomeetinchapter9morelikelychapter10iftheymeetatall *runs away and hides* I'm sorry! Really! I think they won't meet till the end - when Legolas comes and saves him, of course, this way there can be more angst and guilt and stuff ... *evil grin*  
ManuKu - *kreative Energie erhaltend und einen tiefen Atemzug nehmend* Ah! Danke, das hilft doch gleich weiter! Nun kann ich wieder mit neuem Elan in die Tasten greifen ... *g* Tja ja ja, glaub mir, er wird schon schnell ein gesundes ... na ja, sagen wir mal ... 'Misstrauen' (*fieses Grinsen*) gegen sie entwickeln, keine Angst! Meiner Muse geht's noch gut, auch wenn ich mich in ch 9 gerade ein wenig in eine Ecke geschrieben habe - mal gucken, wie ich da wieder rauskomme ... *g*  
Zam - *blinks slowly* That's an interesting curse, Zam ... very interesting ... Éomer!! Help!!! 'THORIN SON OF THRAIN SON OF THROR KING UNDER THE MOUNTAIN', huh? Well, at least it's authentic, that's the most important thing, I always say ... Don't worry! *pats Zam's back* I did read "The Hobbit", I know he dies - even if I couldn't remember his name anymore, but I knew the king dude dies ... *shrugs* Ah well. I'm getting old. Thank you! *huggles Zam* Someone noticed! Their story is indeed a very sad one, and even I pity the evil elf (whose name we'll learn on Tuesday, if I get enough reviews *wink*) sometimes... When he isn't hurting my Estel, that is ... *evil grin*  
Tessen Girl - *bows* Thanks! I like Elrond a lot, and I think he'll get something else to do than patch up his sons later in the story ... Thanks for the review!  
Jitterbug - *blinks* Nice language, really nice - what exactly were you saying? LOL, don't worry, I understood - somewhat. *g* I'm glad you like it, it's always nice to get nice feedback! Thanks!  
Mbali - Me? Play with my readers' minds? NEVER!!! *giggles* Well, perhaps a little ... Only a tiny little bit - but I like it so much! *evil cackle*  
Miss Undastood - Ah, another person who doesn't like cliffies, huh? I just don't get it, they are soooooo much fun ... *evil grin* Thanks a lot for your kind words, I hope you'll enjoy the rest as well!  
Halo - *huggles her* Thank you! I thought you had forgotten all about me! Now I'm happy! *does a little happy dance to prove it* See? Don't zap Éomer, okay? I think we have already caused enough brain damage anyway ... Just listen to what he says... And Elrohir and Elladan WILL go out and look for their little brother, but will they find him in time? *evil cackle* Hah! I know it and you don't! I'm evil, mhahahahaha!  
E - Yes, I agree, 'E' is as good a name as any, really ... *g* It is NOT funny! *glares at E* My poor baby, I felt so bad writing it and you laugh about it? Shame on you!! LOL. Well, Elrond will have some time yet till it's "Checkmate", but I'm already thinking about naming a chapter like that ... We'll see ...  
Kaeera - Danke danke danke! Tja, leider bin ich kein Eingeborener und habe deswegen manchmal auch meine Probleme, aber ich war ein halbes Jahr in England, und komme darum auch ganz gut zurecht. Und du hast Glueck: Umgehend kommt ein post, das hat man auch nicht alle Tage! Nicht zu ungeduldig werden, ich versuche alle drei oder vier Tage zu updaten, also kommt das naechste Kapitel schon bald! Du hast uebrigens meine 100. review abgeschickt, dafuer nimm meinen Dank entgegen, edle Dame! Und eine Estel-Kuschelpuppe!  
Carrie - LOL, poor you! I will have a little ... talk with Elrond and see what I can do! (Elrond: No! There's no way I'm helping HER!! *pouts* Nili: You sure? Think about it! Elrond: No!!! Nili: *whispers in his ear* Elrond: *pales* You wouldn't! Nili: *smirks* Elrond: Alright, alright, I'm doing it!!) Ah, I knew he was a sensible elf! *grabs her earmuffs tighter and glares at Carrie* They're mine!! My own!! You can't have them!! MINE!!! *coughs* Ah well, whatever! Thanks so much for your great reviews! They always make me laugh! And for adding me to your favorites list!! *huggles Carrie* Thank you!!  
  
**Thanks a lot for all the reviews! They brighten my days and cause my family a great deal of annoyance, since I'm in the habit of shrieking "Another one!" every time I find a new message in my inbox ... *g*  
  
  
  
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	8. Know Thy Enemy

**Disclaimer: **For full disclaimer, please see chapter 1.  
  
**A/N:  
  
Well, okay, to come back to the Is-Legolas-there-yet question: I don't really know how to tell you, but ... NO!!!! *runs and hides*  
I'm really really really sorry, but somehow he didn't appear to _want_ to get to Rivendell in chapter 8, and, by the way, I said he _might_ get there by chapter 8 or 9.   
  
So, no, he's still on his way, and he will not get there till chapter 10. *jumps behind pet balrog Stan when angry readers try to strangle her* Gosh, you are a violent bunch, aren't you? *ducks several heavy objects* Guess so....  
Once again, I'm sorry, but he will _definitely_ arrive in chapter 10, I have just written it. I promise!!! *readers mutter something* Yes, well, I'll even swear on the "precious" if you insist .... *g*  
  
Okay, folks, here is chapter 8, in which we learn the evil elf's name!! Actually, the whole chapter was named "The Chapter In Which We Find Out The Evil Elf's Name", but I decided to change it. Was a bit too long, anyway...  
This one includes a bit of Estel whumping, Elladan/Elrohir/Elrond angst and a few revelations of one kind or another...  
  
Enjoy and .... *readers cut her off* Don't forget to review!! Yes, we KNOW!!!!  
Okay okay, no reason to get testy... *g*  
  
  
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Chapter 8  
  
  
The first thing Aragorn noticed when his mind slowly began to make its way back towards consciousness was the constant trickle of water that hit his face. His face that hurt every time a droplet of water hit his skin.   
A second later, he became aware of another feeling thoroughly familiar to him: Pain. This time, it was a throbbing pain that seemed to be located just behind his forehead, as if a hundred tiny dwarves were working behind his brow with their pick-axes. And, it seemed, these dwarves were very focused on forcing their way through the bone. Trying to ease the pressure behind his eyes, the young human shifted slightly, only to freeze when he felt a thousand different hurts make their presence known to him, steeling his breath away.  
  
Aragorn desperately attempted to collect his scattered thoughts and wrecked his brain that seemed to hurt just as badly as the rest of his body to find out what kind of mess he had gotten himself into this time.  
'I feel almost as bad as that time Elrohir dared me to climb the beech tree blindfolded,' he thought as he tried to make his body obey his commands.  
That memory seemed to trigger something in the ranger's brain, something to do with trees … climbing trees … Fervently wishing to remember why he felt as bad as the time when he had broken eight bones at once (if one counted the bones in the two broken fingers separately), he tried to wipe away the moisture that was running over his face – only to find that he couldn't.  
  
All of a sudden bolting wide awake, he noticed for the first time that his hands were securely bound behind his back.   
'Well, that rules out the twins, for sure,' an annoyingly calm part of his mind stated while the rest of him was well on its way to a full-blown panic. To wake up cold and wet, with his hands bound behind him and feeling as if he had just fallen out of a tree was _not _his idea of a good day. Falling out of trees …   
Aragorn gasped inwardly when he realized that the only reason why he felt as if he had fallen out of a tree was the very simple fact that he had indeed done just that. But what about the men … and the elf, no the _two_ elves who had appeared out of nowhere and caused him to fall in the first place?  
  
He grimaced when he imagined what his brothers and Legolas would say when they heard he had actually fallen out of a tree. Especially Legolas would remind him of it at any given opportunity, after mothering him to no end, of course.  
  
Struggling to open his eyes, he couldn't hold back a cry of pain when he felt a boot connect with his right side, which caused his already hurting chest to explode in pain. His eyes flew open almost by themselves as he tried to locate his attacker.   
Blinking furiously to get rid of the stars that danced before his eyes, he looked up into the face of a human when the world finally seemed to shift back into focus. A human with dark hair that the pouring rain had plastered close to his head and cruel eyes, a human he had seen before … The leader of the men that had attacked him, he realized suddenly.  
  
Donyc smiled down at the young human who lay on the wet grass before him, a nasty twinkle in his dark eyes. Lifting his foot to give Aragorn another kick, he asked him in a pleasant voice,  
  
"Did you sleep well, ranger? Welcome back. Not so cocky now, are we?"   
  
When he was just about to kick at the young human's ribcage again, a slim hand grabbed him tightly by the arm, dragging him backwards. Aragorn sagged slightly and closed his eyes, concentrating on breathing deeply and evenly. Over the sound of his laboured gasps for breath he could hear the man and the person who had saved him from further abuse argue softly.  
  
"Don't you remember your orders, Donyc? He is not to be harmed unnecessarily! We need him alive!"  
  
"Eru, I didn't mean to kill him! I was just checking if he was awake, that's all. And he is."  
  
Aragorn could almost hear the doubtful expression on the other's face when he replied.  
  
"And all you gave him was a friendly little nudge, I presume? No, Master Human," he interrupted Donyc when he wanted to respond, "Spare me your excuses. Could you please notify him that the ranger has awoken and that we are ready to leave?"  
  
The sound of shuffling feet and low grumbling could be heard before the human commander moved off and the other person stepped closer to where Aragorn lay.  
  
He opened his eyes to see the one of the elves who had caused his rather ungraceful fall the day before. 'Was it really the day before?' Aragorn asked himself.   
The sun was apparently just rising, had he really been unconscious for the rest of the day and the night as well?   
  
The elf in front of him crouched low to meet the human's eyes, giving him a chance to study his face closely. Somehow, he reminded him of Legolas with his fair hair and delicately chiselled features, apart from the fact that his eyes were of a grey several shades lighter than his own.   
'No,' he thought, 'This one is a lot older. There is something in his eyes…'  
  
He looked up into the elf's face and asked, still struggling to get his breathing under control,  
  
_"Ya naa lle?"_  
  
Nólad hid a smile when he heard the proud timbre in the young one's voice, even though he could see fear lurk in the depths of the boy's silver eyes. This one was no coward. He ignored the human's question and began to check his wounds. Looking for signs that Donyc's kick had somehow ripped open the stitches he himself had placed in the ranger's side, he answered in the same language.  
  
"I wouldn't antagonize Donyc if I were you. He is not a patient man and, I think, he has taken a certain dislike to you. He is not happy with your actions from yesterday afternoon."  
  
Aragorn looked at the elf with wide eyes.  
  
"_He_ is not happy with _me_? And what, pray tell, did I do to deserve such feelings?"  
  
"You killed one of his men. From what I gathered, a rather close friend of his," Nólad answered, buttoning up the human's shirt.  
  
"Oh," Aragorn replied, dumb-struck. That had probably been the one he had shot at the very beginning. "I'm sorry."  
  
The fair haired elf raised his head to meet the human's eyes, and, to his surprise, he saw nothing but regret and sincerity there.  
  
Gazing at the elf seriously, Aragorn tried again.  
"Who are you? What do you want with me? I do not even know you!"  
  
Laughing slightly, Nólad rose as he saw his friend approach with Donyc and two other humans.  
  
"No, I do not imagine you would. The other questions you'd better ask my lord, but one thing I can tell you: I am Nólad. A pleasure to meet you, _dúnadan_," he replied sarcastically just as the others arrived at his side.  
  
The dark haired elf studied Aragorn's face with such intensity that the human found it very hard not to avert his eyes, but somehow he managed to keep eye contact. He looked into the other one's dark eyes and couldn't help but shiver when he saw the hate there, a hate that was not aimed at him, he noted with surprise. Wrinkling his forehead slightly, Aragorn looked closer and saw that the hate was only partially directed at him; the elf looked at him as though he was but the means to an end, an end that the ranger didn't really want to think about.  
Without taking his dark eyes off Aragorn's face, the elf said in a soft voice,  
  
"So the _edan_ has woken at last. And I had feared he would sleep through his whole stay here, what would have been most tragic indeed."  
  
Aragorn didn't answer; something inside his heart told him to alienate this elf as little as possible.   
  
The dark haired elf turned to Nólad, for the moment dismissing Aragorn's presence.  
"Are we ready to leave?"  
  
Nólad nodded.   
„Yes, my lord, we are. We can be gone in five minutes."  
  
The other elf gave a slight nod and directed his gaze to Donyc.  
"Make sure we can leave in five minutes. Try to leave as few signs of your presence as possible. We will ride north as quickly as we can."   
  
The human commander nodded and motioned at one of his companions, the young Seobryn, Nólad noted, to follow him, which he did, after giving Aragorn a wide-eyed look of something akin to admiration.  
  
Nólad's companion looked at the last remaining human and studied him closely, causing the man to drop his eyes to the ground and scrutinize his shoes.  
  
"You know what you have to do?"  
  
The man nodded, not raising his eyes to meet the elf's gaze.  
  
"Very well then. Here is the letter," he handed the human a small, leather-bound, undecorated messenger tube, without a display of the customary elven characters on the outside. The dark haired elf stared hard at the man.  
"Don't deliver it before the next day has passed, that should give us enough time. And," the elf stressed the last words, "Do not lose it."  
  
The man swallowed nervously a few times, trying to avoid the elf's eyes.  
"No, sir, I won't. You can count on me. It will reach its destination in time."  
  
The dark haired elf's eyes burned into those of the human.  
"I hope so," he said softly.  
  
The man took two hasty steps backwards and excused himself, making his way back to his companions as quickly as he could, closely followed by Nólad.  
  
Aragorn looked at the elf with wide eyes, unable to stifle his curiosity any longer.  
"Who are you?" he asked, "What do you want from me?"  
  
The elf looked at him, an almost insane light shining in his eyes.  
"From _you_? Nothing, my young _edan_, I want nothing from you. You are merely the bait for my trap. The means to catch much older and larger fish, if you want to put it that way."  
  
Aragorn stared at him, confusion clearly showing on his face. Then, slowly, understanding began to dawn on him. This elf wanted his family.  
"_Ada_…" he whispered, desperately trying to figure out what this strange elf could want from his father.  
  
The elf laughed coldly.  
"Well done, young one, well done. Yes, we will see how much your _ada_ ," he stressed the word mockingly, "Is willing to sacrifice to get you back."  
"No, I don't desire money, what should I want with gold?" he explained when he saw the look in the human's eyes, "Something much more precious: Revenge. Revenge for what he has done to me so many years ago."  
  
The young ranger looked at him in disgust.  
"Elrond has done nothing you could wish to avenge! He would never harm another one deliberately!" he spat, eyeing the dark haired elf.  
  
The only warning Aragorn received was a flicker in the dark eyes that bore into his before a fist smashed into the side of his face, snapping his head backwards. Before his vision had even had a chance to clear, he felt a strong hand grab his head by the hair and pull him painfully closer to the elf's face.  
  
"Do not speak of things you cannot even begin to comprehend, human!" the elf hissed venomously. "There is a good deal you don't know about your precious _ada_. Not even the revered Lord Elrond Peredhil is perfect!"  
  
Letting go of the human, he took a deep breath to calm himself.  
"But," he added in a more civil voice, "Since we will be spending the next few days together, it is only fair that you should learn my name, ranger. You may call me Cornallar."  
  
He took a step back and looked at the ranger, beckoning a man nearby to come closer.  
"We will leave shortly. I advise you not to try and escape or make this harder on all of us than it already is anyway. I'd prefer you to be alive, but I could settle for you dead."  
  
He turned in the pouring rain and left Aragorn behind, who was still lying on the ground, trying to recover from the last blow that had renewed his fierce headache and wondering what his father could possibly have done to deserve such all-consuming hatred. And how _he_ had managed to find himself right in the middle of it.  
When he was hoisted to his feet and dragged into the direction of the horses by the man Cornallar had instructed to guard him, he wrecked his brain trying to remember where he had heard that name before.  
  
  
  
  
"Melkor take it all!"   
  
Elladan looked over to where his brother was standing in front of what had been a campfire some time ago, giving the cold ashes a fierce kick. Quickly checking the positions of the other elves who had accompanied them from Rivendell, he walked over to Elrohir and put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Calm down, brother. You won't help Estel this way."  
  
Elrohir gazed at him with wide, despairing eyes, a look of self-loathing and accusation in his eyes that had only intensified since they had arrived at the ravine an hour ago. Elladan shuddered at the memory. One needn't be an elf to read the signs that still remained there to discover that Estel had been involved in a fight with more than ten humans and had very obviously lost. Which was a logical development, since he had been injured and alone … alone because he hadn't been with him …  
  
Elrohir's voice drew him out of his thoughts.  
"Calm down? How can I possibly calm down, Elladan? You can interpret the tracks just as well as I can!" The younger twin threw back the hood of his cloak that protected him against the torrential rain and glared at his brother.  
  
"Whoever has taken him has been gone for at least four hours! The trail is leading north, and you know that if they reach the wilds before we can catch up with them, there is no way we can find signs of their passage, for this rain will have washed away all tracks before we can even get to them!"  
  
Elladan had to agree; it was tricky enough to track anything in the stony terrain to the far north of Rivendell under the best of circumstances, but today…  
  
Elrohir turned round and stared at the falling rain, not caring if he was drenched to the bone or not.  
"And you saw that blood right under the tree just as clearly as I did," he added so softly that his brother almost didn't catch his words.  
  
Elladan squeezed his eyes shut when the truth of his brother's words began to sink in. Estel had been captured and was most probably injured, and he wouldn't be able to track those responsible. He had just lost his little brother. Lost him … lost him …   
The words seemed to ring mockingly in his head, threatening to drive him insane. He clasped his hands over his ears, trying to block out the sounds.  
'What are we going to tell father?' he wondered despairingly.  
  
Elrohir turned when he heard a soft sound of dismay behind him, only to see his elven brother stand there, hands over his ears and silent tears trailing down his cheeks, mixing with the rain that hit his face. Without a second thought he crossed the distance between them and pulled his brother into a firm hug.  
  
"Shh, don't worry, Elladan, we will find him. He is going to be alright. We will find him…" he whispered, fighting for control over his own emotions.  
  
"It's my fault. I wasn't there to protect him. I _swore_ I would always be there to protect him. I promised, I took a vow at Arathorn's grave that I would protect his son. I _promised_, Elrohir… If I had only come with you…" the older twin ground out between sobs.  
  
Elrohir tightened his hold on his twin, blinking furiously through the tears that spilled over his face.  
"Then nothing would have changed, brother. If anyone is to blame, it is me. _I_ left him, not you. We are not like _ada_, we do not foresee things like this, and even he didn't this time. This is not your fault."  
  
A little noise behind them attracted their attention, and Elrohir lifted his head to see one of the captains of the guard, Isál, who looked very uncomfortable having to disturb them.  
  
"Pardon the interruption, my lords, but we have finished our survey. There is only one set of tracks that is leading straight north, about four hours old. We counted nineteen horses, but," he interrupted himself and glanced at the sons of Elrond, "Two of them are definitely elvish."  
  
"What did you say?" Elladan asked as he ran a hand over his face, having regained his composure somewhat.  
  
"There were two elven horses here, my lord, and we found sign of elvish presence. No more than three or four though," the other elf explained.  
  
The twins looked at each other in confusion.   
"Why would an elf want to capture Estel?" Elrohir asked frowning.  
  
"I don't know," admitted the captain, brushing a wet strand of hair out of his face, "But if we want to find out, we will have to leave now."  
  
Elladan nodded, running a hand over his reddened eyes.  
"Aye, you are right, Isál. The others are ready to leave?" he asked, looking for the troupe of five other elves who had insisted to come and help them look for the missing human.  
  
Isál nodded.  
"Yes, my lords. We can leave. And don't worry," he added, with a look at the faces of his young lords, "We will find him. Estel will be alright."  
  
Elrohir nodded his thanks.  
"Thank you, Isál. I pray to the Valar that you are right, _mellonamin_ ."  
  
The three elves made their way to their horses, determined not to give up before they had turned the whole of Rivendell inside out.   
  
  
  
  
Aragorn was getting worried. In the beginning he had hoped his brothers, who had certainly assembled a search party by now, would find them, but soon enough he realized that that was a futile hope. The orders Donyc had given his men were clear enough: They were to make their way north into the wilds as quickly as possible. And despite the horrible weather they had made good time, the jagged rocks that were so characteristic for that area were visible just in front of them.  
'Well, whoever this Cornallar is,' he mused, ducking his head to avoid some of the pouring rain, 'He is not stupid. Insane, maybe, but not stupid. And he knows the terrain well – a little too well for my liking.'  
  
He knew that the dark haired elf had chosen the only way possible to avoid detection: He would try to escape into the stony region to the north that stretched for miles, marking the very beginning of the enormous ravine Elrond had chosen to found Imladris in. In this rain not even the twins could hope to pick up the trail there.  
'But what is he planning to do then? He cannot hope to slip past them indefinitely, sooner or later they will find us, unless …'  
  
His trail of thought was interrupted when his horse was sharply jerked to a stop. He raised his head to look right into Donyc's dark eyes, and sighed inwardly. Since they had left the camp, Donyc had kept him right behind him, making sure that he didn't "try anything".  
'Although,' he commented dryly to himself, 'I have the distinct feeling that nothing would please him more than an escape attempt on my part.'  
  
The human gave him a malicious look.  
"Well, ranger, I guess it's time for you to _do_ something, for a change. Get off!"  
  
Aragorn kept his face expressionless as he struggled to get out of the saddle, which was not an easy task with his hands bound behind him and feeling as if he had just fallen victim to one of the twin's more elaborate plots, but somehow he managed to dismount without falling flat on his face. He surveyed his surrounding quickly, searching for the reason of this course of action and finding it soon enough: The only way to get down onto the rocky plain was to climb down a narrow path that wound its way down a steep slope. There was no way the horses would manage that descent burdened with their riders.   
Giving another mental sigh when he thought of the climb that lay ahead, he turned back to Donyc, who looked decidedly unhappy that the young human had not fallen off his horse. Seeing the looks of anger and disappointment flash across the man's face, Aragorn couldn't help but give him a small smile of satisfaction, which turned out to be a mistake real quick.  
  
One moment he was on his feet watching the hilt of a knife connect with his temple, the next he found himself lying in the mud, trying very hard not to lose consciousness. Over the noise the dwarves in his head were creating, obviously encouraged beyond all measure by this new blow to his already throbbing head, he could hear agitated voices talk to each other, but however hard he tried, they just wouldn't make sense.  
  
A moment later he found himself being hauled to his feet by a strong arm and looked up past the blood that flowed freely from his re-opened head wound to meet the dark eyes of his elven captor, who looked at him with something akin to amusement.  
  
"Already causing trouble, ranger? I seem to remember having warned you against it."  
  
He gave Aragorn a none too gentle shove that very nearly sent him back to his knees and turned back to the head of the column, glancing back over his shoulder to give Donyc a mildly disapproving look.   
  
"Try to be a bit more careful, Master Human, will you? We can't have him die on us yet."  
  
Donyc grinned and grabbed the young human, pushing him in front of him and into the direction of the path.  
"One of these days they won't be there to protect you, ranger, trust me. And then you and I will finish this, without disturbances. I'm looking forward to it," he whispered softly into his ear, causing the other human to flinch away from him.  
  
No, Aragorn decided as he made his way down the path, trying to find safe spots to place his feet despite the hammering pain in his head, that was something he really didn't wish experience.  
  
  
  
  
Legolas swiftly arranged what little he had left of dry wood to a small campfire as best as he could in the surrounding darkness and, taking out his flint and one of his knifes, ignited the fuel, stoking it to a small, merrily flickering fire. Staring for a moment into the flames, he paused for a moment to thank Ilúvatar that he had finally managed to get off the mountains and into the softly sloping lands of Eriador.  
'I still cannot believe it!' he mused dryly, ''Tis probably just a figment of my imagination.'   
He pinched himself just to make sure, but no, this was real and he had truly escaped the wrath of the Misty Mountains and the goblins.  
  
'Not a moment too early,' the prince thought, relieving his horse of its burdens, 'If I never again see a snowflake, it will be too soon.'  
  
After currying his horse, which munched away happily at the grass that still grew in this season, he sat down next to the fire, unwrapping the bandages he had hastily applied the night before. He had not felt at ease in the mountains and had only stopped briefly to bind his wounds and make sure his horse had not been harmed, before mounting again and riding on into the night. He had travelled through the night and most of the day, only taking a few rests, and now that he finally found himself safe in the flat lands west of the mountains, he had decided that his horse needed some rest if he didn't want it to collapse.  
  
Stifling a yawn, he amended, 'And I could use a little sleep as well.'  
Returning his attention to the task at hand, Legolas let the bloodied bandages fall to the ground, flicking them into the fire with the tip of his boot. With his luck, the smell of fresh blood would attract every wild beast within a radius of ten leagues.   
Irritated he pushed the edges of his open shirts away from his chest, exposing the wound. It was not as bad as it had seemed yesterday, but it was angry-looking and red, and the skin around it was hot to the touch.   
'Infection,' he thought, sighing inwardly, 'Great. Just what I needed. Lord Elrond will be so happy to see me.'   
  
He reached for his pack and extracted some dried athelas from it; even though the dried plant was not nearly as potent as the freshly cut herb and he had no means to heat water, it would at least stem the infection. After rewrapping his side, he removed the linen straps from his upper left arm, wincing as he ripped the freshly closed wound open again and bright red blood flowed freely from the cut. Ignoring the pain that shot through his arm, he probed the wound with the tip of his knife, looking for dirt or signs of inflammation. To his gratitude and surprise, he found neither, and after washing the cut that ran from his shoulder to his elbow, he dressed it again, giving a sigh of relief.  
  
'Well, I will live,' the fair haired prince decided wryly, 'At least until Estel finds out about this. He will fret over me for days and will then force every single foul potion Elrond can come up with down my throat. Just like the last time. A Elbereth, I should have stayed with the goblins!'  
  
Leaning back against a dark tree trunk, he relaxed and waited for the familiar feeling of dread to set in, but – just like yesterday and the day before – nothing happened. Sighing deeply, he mused darkly that he almost wished these feelings would return, so that he would know there was still something, _ anything_, he could do to help his friends. No, he decided, it was too late now. He could only try to reach Rivendell as quickly as possible and do what he could to help his human friend – for he was sure the young ranger was in some sort of danger – get out of whatever situation he had managed to manoeuvre himself into.  
  
'I'm only half a day away from Amon Siril, and tomorrow afternoon I should reach Imladris, even if I sleep now for a few hours. O the Valar, please don't let me be too late! If I had only been swifter! I should have left Mirkwood as soon as I began to have these feelings! I should have sent a carrier pigeon. I should have …'  
  
With these troubled thoughts on his mind, Legolas trusted his horse's keen senses to alert him to any danger and allowed himself to drift off into an unconscious state, his last vision before sleep overtook him being the sight of Strider's still body, lying bleeding in the mud.  
  
  
  
  
Elrond stood at the gates of Rivendell, glaring at a servant who had just suggested that he come inside and await his sons' arrival there. Suppressing his flaring temper, the Lord of Imladris took a deep breath and stated calmly,  
"No, thank you. I'm just fine right where I am. I'm sure they will arrive soon, and _then_ I'll come inside."  
  
The servant bowed and nodded, knowing that there was no way to make his lord abandon his place before the search party had returned.  
'Elbereth, this family is stubborn! One worse than the other!' he mused as he made his way over the dark courtyard back inside the main house, shooting a fervent glance over his shoulder at the dark haired elf, who hadn't moved from where he had been standing for the past four or five hours.  
  
'Oh, that went well, Peredhil,' Elrond chastised himself, 'Now you start frightening the servants, excellent.'  
Abandoning all attempts to appear calm, he started pacing back and forth in front of the huge, ornamented gates, his thoughts going in circles with worry and despair.   
After what felt like ages he finally heard the sound of riders approaching the Last Homely House, and he straightened his back to face the inevitable with at least some of his usual dignity and composure.  
  
When the first rider appeared in his field of vision, he felt as if an iron fist had reached inside his chest and crushed his heart, filling him with coldness and despair. He didn't need to ask them if they had found Estel, the air of failure and hopelessness that hung above the small group was so thick one could almost reach out and grasp it.  
  
He leaned against one of the posts, closing his eyes and trying very hard not to listen to the voice that echoed through his mind.  
'You knew something was out there and you did nothing. You let him go. You've lost the Hope of Men. You've lost your son, you've lost Estel…'  
  
After a while he heard a softly spoken voice over the noise of the shrieking voices ask,  
  
"_Ada_?"  
  
Elrond didn't open his eyes, he didn't want to see the same pain he felt reflected in his son's eyes.  
  
"You did not find him." It was a statement, not a question.  
  
Elladan drew in a shaking breath.  
  
"No, father, I am sorry. We tracked him to the ravine, he fought with at least twelve men there, and he lost. They apparently took him with them and travelled north, into the wilds, and we lost their trail there. We couldn't find him. I'm sorry, _ada_, I am so sorry…" the oldest twin's voice broke, unable to contain the suppressed emotions any longer.  
  
At the sound of his son's distress Elrond opened his eyes to see the search party stand before him, soaked to the skin and looking discouraged and exhausted. With a nod he dismissed the warriors.  
  
"Thank you, Isál, if you go to the kitchens you will find that a meal is already prepared for you and your men. Your help is greatly appreciated."  
  
Isál bowed low before his lord, guilt clearly visible on his fair features.  
"Yes, my lord, thank you. I'm sorry, we couldn't find him, we will try again tomorrow."   
  
Elrond nodded his agreement and turned to his twin sons as Isál and the five other elves made their way to the house, shoulders slumped dejectedly.  
  
The twins looked definitely the worse for wear, drenched to the bone and with despair in their eyes that shone brightly with unshed tears.  
  
His parental instincts getting the upper hand over his other emotions, he put an arm around each of them and walked them firmly into the direction of the house.  
  
"_Ada_, I …" Elrohir began, but was cut off by his father as soon as he had opened his mouth.  
  
"No, Elrohir, there is no need to explain anything. You did what you could. You all did. We will talk about what you found out as soon as you have changed into dry clothes and have eaten something. And then you will drink a cup of tea and go to bed, and sleep for at least six hours until you have regained your strength, and _then_ you may go out and take up the search once more."  
  
At the thought of his youngest out there in the rain and cold, in the hands of unknown men who planned to do Valar-know-what to him, Elrond's heart clenched in pain and fury. They would pay the price for their actions, by Elbereth's stars, he would make sure of that.  
  
"Yes, and the last part will be guaranteed by said tea, I presume," Elladan muttered, trying to keep his thoughts off his little brother's fate.  
  
Elrond didn't reply, his thoughts fixed on Estel as he urged his two other sons towards the main house.  
  
'They will regret this,' he decided firmly when he crossed the threshold of the house, 'They will regret having ever laid hands on my son when I'm through with them.'  
  
  
  
  
  
**TBC...  
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_ ** _Ya naa lle - Who are you?  
dúnadan - 'Man of the West', ranger  
edan - human, man  
ada - father (daddy)  
mellonamin - my friend  
  
  
  
  
_** *looks around nervously for angry readers* Shhhh, I think they're gone ...   
Okay, so PLEASE don't forget to review, right now I've reached the point where I don't ****really **** know what's supposed to happen. I think that's because I never expected to get this far - but thanks to your reviews I did. So, technically, it's your fault that I'm in this situation anyway, and therefore your duty to get me out of it again. *folds arm across her chest proudly* Well??  
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**Additional A/N:  
  
**Lievre - Well, you are blood-thirsty, aren't you? Hm, in this chapter he doesn't get beaten up too much, but in later chapters he will be ...*evil grin* Don't worry. He and Donyc will have their little ... argument ... later, I think. Yupp, poor Legolas, I can only agree. Stupid goblins whose blades could be _poisoned_ and his friend in the hands of evil elves ... can this get any worse? *evil cackle* OF COURSE it can!! Thanks for reviewing, it's always nice to know that people you 'know' like your story!  
Aurienia - Sneaky?? ME??? Why, madam, I am deeply hurt!! Are you implying that I'm enjoying the situations my babies find themselves in? Are you??? LOL, well, yes, maybe a little. *looks at Aurienia who is jumping up and down in excitement* Well ... calm down ... the next chapter's here! And yes, I agree, Elrond will NOT be happy to see the poor prince! And the condition he will be in ... *shakes head sadly* Poor Legolas ... *ducks heavy objects* I AM SORRY!! Really!! I am!! I didn't mean to delay him, but every time I plan a chapter it's something like "Oh, and then they can have a little chat, Elrohir and Elladan come back home, lots of angst and Legolas worries and gets back to Rivendell" and then, voilà, it's ten pages long! It's not my fault!! Well, if you hug me every time I write Aragorn and Legolas angst, I will suffocate for sure! So, let's just say ... don't hug me too hard? Hm?? *g*  
Elwen - Star Maiden - Yeah, well, let's just say Elladan doesn't share your opinion! *g* Thanks for the review!  
Bitch 1 - Well, what can I say? I doubt you'll read this, but: Thanks for telling me! I mean it! I'm sorry I didn't mention this is kinda AU, I've reposted ch1 and done so now. And about the rest: Well, you're probably right, but frankly: I don't care. Sorry you don't like it.  
CalliTrakand - *innocent smile* You don't like cliffies? Why?? *evil cackle* I LOVE them!!! *blushes* Thank you for your kind words! I hope this update is enough to keep you sustained for another three days!? I'm glad you like it and thanks so much for reviewing!  
Lina - *to Halo* WHERE did she get that hammer? Whatever, Lina!! Stop it!! If you kill me, I will not be able to post more!! *stares at Éomer's single moment of apparent intelligence* Dammit, I thought it might last! Well, a bodyguard who is too intelligent is not too helpful either, I would imagine... *g* But he does a good job - I pay him well enough mind you, do you have ANY idea what he demanded for keeping you away from me? *pales* Oopps, shouldn't have said that...  
Mouse - *huggles Mouse* Thank you for your reviews!! And I'm glad you liked the 'battle scenes', I'm always quite nervous about them - there are only so many ways of saying "He killed the orc, and then the next, and the next...". LOL, thanks!  
Kaeera - Tja, bei mir war's auch kein Schueleraustausch, haette ich mir auch nicht leisten koennen. Ich war nach dem Abi als Aupair da ... war wirklich schoen, meine Familie war toll, und ich fahre in den Semesterferien auch wieder hin. Hatte wohl Glueck, nehme ich an. Tja, ich hoffe, in den Kapitel war genug Zwillings-Action drin, ich liebe sie doch auch *knuddel* und wuerde sie nie zu kurz kommen lassen, was Aufmerksamkeit angeht. Und du magst Drama, ja? *fieses Grinsen* Na, dann bist du bei den spaeteren Kapiteln goldrichtig...  
YunaDax - Yes yes yes, Elrond's face ... Who wouldn't? I am not yet sure if you actually going to 'see' it though ... *takes a look at YunaDax's face* But I'll see what I can do! I promise!! *g* Thanks for the review!  
Ciria - Definitely some influence, I'd say ... You're from Finland, then? It's so beautiful! You're lucky... So you hope Legolas has been poisoned, yes? Well, let me tell you, IF he is - and I'm not saying that he is - it will be _your_ fault, because you so adamantly requested it. *evil grin* Sorry, yes, he meant Estel, I'm sorry if that wasn't clear ... And I'm using the Grey Company dictionary, but I wouldn't use it if I were you, it's not too goo, I think. Ah well, it's what I use, but only because I don't have enough time looking for another one. Well, I hope you feel better now, perhaps the chapter helped a little?  
Alilacia - Yeah, I fell sorry for them too, I wouldn't want to meet the twins in full battle mode ... *shudders* Or Legolas, for that matter ... or all three of them! *faints at mere thought* *looks at bow and quiver* Uhm, I'm sure Legolas will be thrilled ... Just leave them here, I'll make sure he gets them. *g*  
Acacia - *hides behind Stan* Just a tiny little concussion, really! If Donyc goes on like this, he'll get a _big_ one though... *evil grin* Thanks for the review!!  
Jitterbug - *grins happily* Well, then I'm very happy you _love_ it! It's always nice to hear somebody likes, uhm, sorry, loves it! *smiles*  
Alexa - Well, I DIDN'T say he'd reach Rivendell in chapter 8! All I said was that he might reach it ... Don't hurt me!! He will reach it in chapter 10 though, I promise!!! But I think Elrond will be fine - he knew Legolas was coming after all and had enough enough time to prepare - but he _didn't_ know Estel would be kidnapped by a bunch of crazy elves and humans, so perhaps you are right... *evil grin*  
ThE iNsAnE oNe - *huggles her* Thanks! I always wanted a pet warg! Well, I hope he and Stan'll get along ... *shrugs* Ah well. One might eat the other, that's the way things are... LOL, yes I agree, Legolas will have to save him - not yet, though. He isn't hurt badly enough yet, and neither is our dear elven prince... *g*  
Zam - *stares at review* Wow, that's huge! I love long reviews!! *hugs her* Thanks! *bangs Zam over the head* Sorry, but don't frighten Legolas!! He will need all his strength to get back to Rivendell!! *huggles him* My poor baby! So you're the younger sister? Fits, somehow... I'm right in the middle, a horrible position, believe me! *g* *glares at Zam* What's so funny about "'tis"? Is it incorrect? Did I use something I shouldn't have been using?? *shakes Zam* Tell me!!! *pats Zam on the back* SURE you take baths ... *mumbles* and Éomer isn't stupid... *g* Thanks for the long review!!  
Reginabean - *pats her back* I'm glad you like it up here!! Guess I shouldn't tell you chapter 9 is a cliffhanger then... Oops, I just have, haven't I? Sorry ... *g* Hope you liked this chappie as well!  
Salara - Tja, das mit den cliffhangern habe ich mich auch gefragt ... nach Kapiteln 7 und 8 ohne dachte ich schon, ich werde krank oder so ... Na ja, Gott sei Dank haben 9, 10 und 11 wieder einen, in verschiedenen Graden, natuerlich... *fieses Grinsen* Frust-Knurren, ja? Das wuerde ich ja mal gerne sehen... Oder besser gesagt, hoeren... *g* Ich hoffe, dass es fuer deinen Lieblingselben genug mentale Qual war? Mehr kommt im naechsten Kapitel, und mal sehen, vielleicht koennen wir noch ein bisschen physische hinzufuegen... Danke der Nachfrage, aus der Ecke bin ich raus - mehr oder weniger - und was Legolas angeht: Elrond ist nun mal naeher, und du weisst doch, der Spatz in der Hand oder wie auch immer das geht ...  
Jenny - Do you? I don't know many horses, my sister owns one though, and it's a bit like Legolas' - cocky, that is! And no, I decided not to name it, because I thought there were enough strange names already - I hate stories where authors name everything from horses to swords! I know Tolkien does it, but I'm not him, so... *g*  
ManuKu - Er IST mein Baby! Ich liebe es jedoch, ihn leiden zu sehen - habe allerdings festgestellt, dass ich es gar nicht so gerne schreibe! Ich mag die Boeslinge lieber... *g* Tja ja ja, allzu intelligent sind unsere Lieblingsfieslingselben wirklich nicht - ICH wuerde es mir dreimal ueberlegen, bevor ich mich mit Elrond, Elladan, Elrohir und Legolas anlegen wuerde... *zuckt mit Schultern* Tja, ist wohl deren Problem... *umarmt ManuKu* Schoen, dass es dir gefaellt!! Freut man sich doch!!  
Stasia - *evil grin* "Unhurt" is a very relative term - what about "alive"? That's all I promise... Yupp, thanks, the evil elves are ... well, evil? But at least they have a reason to be... And don't worry, Legolas will be okay - hm, once again a rather relative term, wouldn't you agree? *g*  
E - I agree!! Poor everyone!! *sobs* Wait a second, I wrote it - I know what's going to happen! I have the power to decide their fate ... *rubs hands* LOL, ignore that bit, will you? *gulps and backs away slowly* You will attack me and turn me into a bowl of treacle with *grimaces in disgust* pickles on top and m&ms and tortilla chips??? PLEASE tell me you don't eat stuff like that!!! Besides, I have Stan to protect me!! *points at balrog in the corner* You can't harm me!!!  
Shandrial - Wow, I was just about to post this part when I got your review!! Thanks, it was a nice surprise! I'm glad you like the story, but I don't think Elladan would agree. Somehow he didn't think it was funny ... *shakes head* Weird elf.  
  
**Thank you for reviewing!! You lovely people always manage to encourage me and make me post faster! Thank you!!**  
  
  
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	9. Keeping Secrets

**Disclaimer: **For full disclaimer, please see chapter 1.  
  
  
**A/N:  
  
Yes, finally the chapter in which Legolas will arrive in Rivendell is drawing nearer and nearer! *g* I know, it's hard to believe, but trust me: Next chapter he'll get there - probably...   
If nothing ... unexpected happens to our dear elven prince... *evil smile*  
  
Well, I have to announce something which has absolutely _nothing_ to do with the story: I have just signed my first tenancy agreement! Yay Nili!!   
I will move into my new flat in a month and I'm SO looking forward to it!! My own flat ... an own computer ... enough time to write "weird, silly stories" - that's my own personal definition of heaven! *g*   
Okay, I'm sorry to annoy you but I'm really proud and happy and proud and ... *grins sheepishly*  
  
And because I AM so proud and because you have written so many _lovely_ reviews, I'm posting this now and not tomorrow evening!   
Well, it IS a cliffy, but that's better than nothing, isn't it? *ducks several projectiles aimed at her head* Ah, you don't agree, I assume? *g*  
  
Okay, enough rambling, on to the chapter!  
In which ... well, Aragorn's situation quickly goes from bad to worse, Elrond's guilt trip continues and Legolas ... ah well, Legolas is about to run into even more trouble... *shaked head sadly* That elf...  
  
  
Enjoy!!! And review, if possible! *g* If might prompt me to post the next bit on Tuesday, even though I _really_ don't have the time.  
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Chapter 9  
  
  
Aragorn suppressed a yawn and tried to stretch his aching body a bit, only to freeze when the muscles in his chest protested against such an action resolutely. He eased himself up on the tree trunk he had been leaning against for the whole night, not really voluntarily since Addramyr, Donyc's second-in-command, had seen it not only necessary to assign one of his men to guard him, but also thought it prudent to tie the young ranger to one of the tree trunks at the edge of the camp they had pitched last night.  
  
'Which is in all likelihood only a way to make my life even more miserable than it already is at the moment,' he mused dryly, surveying the waking camp in front of him.   
  
His captors had indeed chosen the way he had thought they would, travelling north for most of the day before turning east, into the direction of the Misty Mountains, giving Rivendell a wide berth in the process. The heavy rain that had only abated a few hours ago had made sure virtually no tracks remained, and the elves had carefully chosen smaller and scarcely used paths, drawing nearer and nearer to the broad road that turned into the Old Forest Road on the other side of the mountains.   
  
He shuddered when he thought of the long ride yesterday, which had only ended when darkness had fallen and the horses had begun to stumble with weariness.  
Well, he decided, at least he felt better than yesterday evening, which was not really hard, because he could remember few times when he had felt worse than that.  
  
'Including the beech incident,' Aragorn opted, 'At least that time I had _ada_ to look after me. And the sight of a thoroughly embarrassed Elrohir to cheer me up.'  
The thought of his family brought him back to the situation he was currently stuck in. He tried, once again, for he had done little else than that and watching the actions of the men around him, looking for a way to escape, to remember where he had heard Cornallar's name before. He was sure someone had mentioned it to him during one of his rather boring history lessons, but since he had quite often not paid attention, he found it very hard to remember when that had been, or in what context, or even by whom.  
  
'Glorfindel was right after all,' Aragorn mused frustrated, 'Not listening to his lessons has indeed got me into more trouble than even he could imagine.'  
  
Sighing, he decided that the answer would probably come to him when he did not expect it, just like these things always happened.  
  
'But this time,' he thought, 'It could be a bit too late. It won't help me in the slightest if I remember where I know Cornallar from just in the moment he finally decides he has no use for me anymore. Or the moment he captures Elrond. O Ilúvatar, if he would be harmed because I was too stupid to keep my balance, I would never forgive myself. This is all my fault, just like it always is…'  
  
The heavy sounds of an approaching human interrupted the ranger's thoughts. Looking up, he saw the boy he had seen earlier approach him, nodding at his guard who had been sitting to the left of him on a log and carrying a small loaf of bread and a water skin.   
Exchanging a few words, both of them made their way towards him, stopping just in front of his boots. As the boy stepped around the trunk to cut the rope that secured the young ranger to the tree, the other man stepped closer and grabbed Aragorn by the hair, holding a short dagger under his chin and pressing his head back against the bark.  
  
"He will cut your bonds and tie your hands in front of you so you can feed yourself, ranger. You heard Addramyr, if you cause any trouble, I am to kill you. Don't think I would hesitate to carry out that order," the guard warned him, pressing the sharp blade of the knife a little harder against his throat.  
  
That was as good a method as any to make sure he didn't try anything, Aragorn decided grumpily and complied reluctantly, allowing the young man, who couldn't be more than two or three years his junior, to tie his hands in front of him. Once the boy was done, the guard patted the young ranger's cheek, grinning at him before moving off towards the camp.  
  
"See, it wasn't that bad, was it? Hold on to that attitude."  
  
Entertaining himself with vivid visions of what he would do with that one once he managed to get out of here, Aragorn accepted the bread and water from the young human, nodding his thanks. Only now did he realize how hungry he was, he couldn't even remember the last time he had eaten something.  
Wolfing down the meagre ration with a speed that would have put Elladan to shame, he returned the now empty water skin and smiled at the human.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"You are welcome, ranger," the boy answered, smiling back, and added after a moment's hesitation, "My name is Seobryn."  
  
"I am called Strider. 'Tis a pleasure to meet you, Seobryn," Aragorn told him, somewhat sarcastically.  
  
"Are you really part elf? The others said so, because you managed to escape them and climb that tree so quickly, which they are _not_ happy about, I can tell you! I have seen your weapons as well, and they look definitely elvish and…" Seobryn asked so quickly that the questions seemed to blur slightly together, looking at him with reverence.  
  
Aragorn laughed lightly and was just about to answer, when a voice to his right nearly made him jump.   
  
"Many questions, young human, but unfortunately none of them can be answered right now. I need to see to my patient."  
  
Seobryn, he noted as his head wheeled around to the right, had indeed jumped, namely off his log and onto the grass, staring at the person who had managed to approach them without making a sound.  
Aragorn knew that it was Nólad seconds before his eyes fixed on the fair haired elf; he didn't sense the dark, ominous presence he felt whenever the elf's companion was near.  
  
Nólad looked at Seobryn, a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth.   
  
"You are needed, _edan_. I will take care of the captive for you."  
  
Seobryn looked decidedly unhappy having to leave now, but nodded at the elf in respect and turned, walking back into the direction of the camp.  
Aragorn eyed the fair haired elf closely, a humourless smile on his lips.  
  
"'Patient' you say, Master Elf? It seems a bit strange to me to care for the very wounds one has inflicted earlier oneself."  
  
Ignoring the human's sarcastic remark, Nólad kneeled down next to him, pushing the bloodied shirt out of the way and examining the side wound. After nodding in satisfaction at what he saw and rewrapping the injury, he met the dark haired human's eyes.  
"We wouldn't profit from your death, ranger. At least not yet."  
  
He turned to leave, but stopped dead when he saw the sun's rays catch on something glittering on the ranger's hand. When Aragorn realized what the elf was looking at, he tried to cover it, but too late: Nólad had already turned round and grasped the human's bound hands, taking a look at the ring on the forefinger of his left hand.  
The fair haired elf just kept staring at the intricately wrought ring. He knew that design, the two silver serpents under the three golden flowers, the sparkling emerald eyes…  
  
"The Ring of Barahir," he breathed, turning unbelieving eyes on the young ranger who tried to pull away from the elf's firm grasp. Nólad ignored the human's attempts and grabbed the ranger's chin, forcing him to look him in the eye, studying the silver eyes closely.  
  
Letting go of Aragorn as quickly as he had grabbed him, he looked around him and switched his speech to Elvish, making sure the men would not understand what was spoken.  
  
"Well, that explains a lot, I think. At least now I know why Lord Elrond accepted a human so willingly all those years ago, you are kin after all, however distant. I should have seen it earlier though; your eyes are just too elvish. You even look somewhat like Elendil when one looks closely enough, tall for a human, just like he was…"  
  
Aragorn was trying very hard to suppress the panic that was threatening to overtake him when he heard the elf's words; being the captive of a crazy elf was bad enough, but being the captive of a crazy elf who knew his true identity, that was a situation he really did not want to face.  
He swallowed nervously and tried to speak with some conviction.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about," he stated, attempting to remain calm.  
  
Nólad just laughed, an amused sparkle in his eyes.  
  
"Ah, please, _dúnadan_, I'm not that stupid! I am not focused only on revenge and the past, I pick up quite a few things. For example the tale that the last of the House of Elendil was slain about twenty years ago and apparently no child of his survived. Then I see a young _edan_ in front of me, raised in the House of Lord Elrond Half-Elven, with eyes definitely too elvish for a human, approximately twenty years of age and wearing the Ring of Barahir, and you expect me not to draw conclusions? Besides, I do not even need to do that to recognize the Heir of Isildur when I see him."  
  
Aragorn just looked at him, not bothering to deny what the elf had said, for what could he possible say to invalidate what they both knew to be the truth?  
  
"What do you plan to do then?" he asked as calmly as he could.  
  
Nólad sat down on the log previously occupied by Seobryn and gazed at the young ranger thoughtfully.  
"Nothing, young _dúnadan_, nothing. I would advise you to take off the ring and hide it though, there are others who might recognize it or desire it purely for its monetary value. I will keep this secret, for your sake."  
  
"Why?" Aragorn asked, puzzled, "Why are you not reporting this to your lord? Why are you protecting me?"  
  
The fair haired elf rose and prepared to leave, his light grey eyes boring into the young human's darker ones.  
  
"Because, ranger, I do not hate you. I do what I have to do to serve my lord and friend, but I do not relish your pain or that of others. And because," he interrupted himself, his eyes adopting a look of sadness and hopelessness, "He would kill you if he ever found out you are of Elendil's bloodline. And it would be a slow and agonizing death, something which I do not wish on my worst enemy. You should be extremely careful, ranger. I can only keep this secret, I cannot protect you from Donyc or Cornallar should he discover who you are."  
  
Giving him a mock bow, Nólad turned round and made his way back to the camp, assigning the duty to guard Aragorn to another human about thirty feet from them, telling the men to break camp and prepare to leave as soon as his lord had returned from his scouting trip.  
  
Before his new guard could come close enough to see what he was doing, Aragorn slipped the ring off his finger and hastily hid it in one of the smaller pockets of his overcoat, hoping it would avoid detection there. Even if Nólad was right and Cornallar would kill him should he find the ring, for whatever reasons, he would not just throw something away that had been forged before the War of the Jewels and survived as an heirloom to his House for more than 6500 years.  
  
Leaning back against the tree and closing his eyes once more, the ranger exhaled slowly and tried to calm his still racing heart. He did not feel at all comfortable knowing that someone other than his family and his closest friends knew about his heritage, but now he had no choice than to trust the fair haired elf to keep his promise.  
  
'Ilúvatar!' he thought as he heard the man settle down onto the much used log, 'This is just getting steadily worse! Every time I think it's as bad as it can possibly get, something happens that proves me wrong. I don't even want to think about what will happen next! Legolas is right, as soon as he takes his eyes off me for a second, I somehow find myself in more trouble than either of us can possibly imagine!"  
  
He opened his eyes again as he heard someone come closer, fixing a tired gaze on Donyc, who walked up to the tree the ranger was leaning against, grinning at him.  
  
'A Elbereth! That's not fair!' He complained inwardly, suppressing the loathing and fear he felt every time the human commander approached him and meeting his gaze with calm composure, 'They could really hurry up a bit.'  
  
  
  
  
Elrohir walked into his father's room to let him know they were ready to leave, just to be greeted by an empty room and a bed that looked as if it had not been used for quite some time.  
The younger twin shook his head and turned on his heel, leaving the room and heading down the corridor into the other direction.  
  
'I think we should force him to drink some of his own tea for a change,' he mused darkly, 'Or we should bribe the kitchens to slip some sleeping potion into his food.'  
  
Elrohir made his way down the airy corridor, stopping in front of the room he knew his father would chose to stay in now: Estel's chambers. Every time Estel was out in the wilds or involved in another one of their hair-raising adventures with the Prince of Mirkwood, Elrond could be found on his human son's balcony, gazing at the night sky and worrying, even though he would not admit doing so.  
  
'And sometimes,' Elrohir thought as he pushed open the door that led to his brother's room, 'He even forgets to return to his own room after a few hours. If _we_ did that, he would have our hides!'  
  
Walking soundlessly across the sunlit room that was relatively tidy for once, he pushed aside the curtains that moved lightly in the morning breeze and stepped onto the balcony.  
Just like he had expected, he found Elrond there, leaning against the balustrade, his grey eyes gazing at nothing, looking tired and dejected.  
Not wishing to startle him, Elrohir stepped next to his father, resting his elbow on the wooden railing and addressing him in a soft voice.  
  
"We are ready to leave, _ada_. Isál and the others are already waiting in the courtyard. We have decided to travel back northwards to the beginning of the wilds and spread out, perhaps one of us will find a clue to which direction they took."  
  
Elrond kept staring straight ahead and nodded soundlessly.  
Elrohir sighed and decided that his father had spent more than enough time blaming himself. Placing a hand on his shoulder, the younger twin told Elrond,  
  
"We will find them, _ada_, and we will make sure they regret having attacked him. Estel will be alright, father, he always is. You were right in what you told us yesterday evening; this was not our fault, and neither was it yours. You could not have known."  
  
At that Elrond turned to look at his younger elven son, raising a dark eyebrow in disbelief.  
  
"How could I not have known? I_ knew_ something was drawing close, I _knew_ danger was approaching, and still I let you go! Estel was still not back to full strength, I should have forbidden him to leave the house! If it's not me who is to blame, then who is?"  
  
Elrohir sighed and tightened his hold on his father's shoulder, smiling sadly.   
'Isál is right,' he decided, 'The tendency to blame oneself is truly widespread in this fair house. The whole family does it, and even Legolas seems to have caught it. It's contagious.'  
  
"That's not true, father, and you know it," he said aloud, gazing into his father's eyes, "We agreed yesterday that whoever has taken him has been planning this for a long time. They picked just the right spot at the right time, the ambush was laid too perfectly to have been a mere coincidence. If you had kept him back, they would just have waited a bit longer before striking; they knew what they were doing.   
This was not your fault, _ada_. You could not have prevented it knowing as little as you did."  
  
Elrond looked at his son and smiled at him with loving eyes.  
  
"Just when have you grown so wise, Elrohir?" he asked softly, grasping his son's hand that still lay on his shoulder.  
  
Elrohir gave his father a slightly forced grin as they turned round and went inside to meet with the search party in the courtyard.  
  
"Well, after more than 2800 years something like this was to be expected, wouldn't you agree?"  
  
"I had almost lost hope of it ever happening," Elrond told his son, giving him another smile.  
  
"While there's life, there's hope. Never give up hope, father."  
  
"I won't," Elrond whispered, following Elrohir out of the room.  
  
  
  
  
Legolas moved swiftly down the road leading to Rivendell, enjoying the sunlight on his face. Sunlight, he decided, was truly something to be cherished, even though it made him feel uncomfortably warm, something to which he was not accustomed. Surprising how strongly the sun could still shine this time of year, the fair haired prince mused, shifting slightly in the saddle and biting back a gasp of pain that threatened to escape him when his side screamed in protest.  
  
''Tis not the sun you feel, stupid elf,' a more realistic part of his mind stated, 'Elves are not bothered by the sun. It's the infection, the blade was poisoned after all.'  
  
The rest of Legolas' mind reluctantly agreed; it was very unusual for him to feel hot, and the fact that he had slept until the sun was well on her way across the sky was not quite normal either. One more reason to make his way to Imladris as quickly as possible, he decided, wiping away the perspiration that had somehow accumulated on his brow.  
  
Despite the fact that he felt rather weary despite the long rest he had taken, he forced himself to remain alert. An hour ago he had stopped at Amon Siril to refill his water skin, and had to his surprise found signs of a rather large party of riders that had camped there only a few days ago.   
  
That fact would have been not too unusual, since Amon Siril was quite a popular camping place among elven hunting parties due to the spring and the easily defendable terrain, but this party had definitely been human, at least the majority of the tracks suggested so. Legolas had found a few signs that pointed to elvish presence, but he abandoned that theory quickly, since the humans had very obviously not been rangers, and why should an elf mix with ordinary humans? He was probably sicker than he thought and was beginning to misinterpret the simplest tracks.   
  
The elven prince tried to imagine what Glónduil would say if he heard that he had thought an elf would travel with a human, and suppressed the wave of anger that swept over him. It would take him some time to get over his friend's words, that much was clear. And Legolas was not sure if he could ever forgive him, he had been hurt too deeply by Glónduil's collected prejudices against his human friend.  
  
At the thought of Aragorn Legolas spurred his horse on again; he had not even noticed it had fallen into a slower gait. He shook his head slightly and thought,  
  
'Lord Elrond will not even _speak_ with me. He will only give me that _look_ he usually reserves for Estel and the twins, and act as if I had done this on purpose, just to annoy him. Yet all know that nothing ever happened to me before I met Aragorn in the first place! Hundreds of years of existence without major disturbances and now, during the few years that I have known him, I have experienced more near-death situations than elves thrice my age!'  
  
He shook his head sadly and decided that even though he sometimes acted as if the young human was to blame for this, he would give everything to be at his side now and help him.  
  
'Without me,' he mused, 'That human is completely lost. And that is exactly what I'm going to tell him once I arrive in Imladris.'  
  
Legolas lifted his head to study the road in front of him, just about a league away it disappeared into a little wood, the trees growing too densely for him to make out what was concealed by the dark trunks. He unconsciously reached for the bow on his back when he surveyed it more closely; something didn't feel right about the wood. Just as if something was in there, waiting for him to come within its grasp, something definitely hostile …  
  
He tried to shrug off the feeling, accrediting it to the slight confusing that seemed to have infected his thoughts. The heat was causing him to see things that weren't really there, just like at Amon Siril.   
  
'Well,' the prince decided and adjusted the position of the quiver on his back, 'It can't hurt to be prepared for all eventualities.'  
  
Keeping a close eye on his surroundings, he made his way down the road, approaching the dark trees of the wood in front of him and trying to get rid of the feeling that he was missing something important.  
  
  
  
  
Nólad leaned back against the trunk of the tree he was hiding in, barely able to believe his luck. Somehow, and he really had no idea how, the fair haired elf had missed his presence. He ran a hand through his own blonde hair, forcing himself to calm down and get off this tree as quickly as possible. His lord had asked him to go ahead of the rest of the men to scout the area; they didn't want to meet anyone to whom they would have to explain the presence of a bound ranger in their midst.  
  
He was about half an hour ahead of the main group, and when he had reached the edge of the small wood the road was crossing, he had stopped his horse to climb a lone tree that stood on top of a small hill and offered an excellent view over the next few leagues. He had barely reached the top branches when he had seen a single rider approach, an elf, as he had soon found out, and to make things worse, an elf he knew only too well, even if they had never met face to face.   
  
Nólad had frozen where he was when he had seen the prince lift his head and survey the small wood, but, to his unending surprise, he was sure he had not been detected. Shaking his head and climbing swiftly down the tree, he wondered what would cause Legolas Thranduilion to miss him in a position that should have been clearly visible to an elven eye.  
  
'Well, I'm not complaining,' he thought as he rode down the path he had come only minutes ago, 'That should give me enough time to warn the others.'  
  
After what felt like mere moments, he saw the first of the men appear, a questioning look on his face when he noticed the urgent expression on the fair haired elf's face. Nólad ignored him and continued to the end of the column, ordering the men to stop as he passed them. Finally reaching his friend's side, he told him, a bit breathless,  
  
"We have a problem."  
  
Cornallar took blazing eyes off the bound human who had very obviously just said something that had displeased him and turned to his companion.  
  
"What do you mean? Is someone approaching?"  
  
"Yes," Nólad nodded, fixing troubled grey eyes on his friend, "An elf is coming this way. He will have reached us in about twenty minutes, I think."  
  
Aragorn felt the colour drain from his face as he heard the elf's words. A lone elf, that could only be Legolas, for the times grew dark and elves did scarcely stray too far from their realms alone. And the only elf they had been expecting had been his friend, travelling from Mirkwood to visit him. He suppressed the panic that was beginning to wrap itself around his heart, his friend wouldn't expect anything like this in his path, he would not be prepared for battle …  
He barely heard the rest of the conversation, but listened closely when he heard Legolas' name being mentioned.  
  
"…Prince Legolas. I don't know what he wants here, but he didn't see me, of that I'm sure. But he knows him," Nólad nodded in the direction of the still stunned human, "And he will cause trouble should he see him with us."  
  
Cornallar stroked his chin thoughtfully.  
"Are you sure he didn't detect your presence?"  
  
His friend nodded.  
"Yes, my lord, I'm sure, but he will be here soon. What shall we do?"  
  
"It's very simple, Master Elf: Kill him. Let him approach, wait for him to come close enough and then an arrow in the back. Quite easy, really," Donyc interrupted, an expectant gleam in his dark eyes.  
  
Aragorn's head swivelled into the human's direction, eyes blazing with fury and hurting muscles tensing for action. He didn't care if he was killed in the process, but he would _not_ allow them to just murder his friend like this.  
  
"No, Master Human, I don't think that will be necessary," the dark haired elf told the human commander, giving him a cold stare, "I will not kill another elf, and royalty for that matter, without good reason. I think I have a better idea. Dismount and make camp, all of you, as quickly as possible."  
  
Giving the humans that were just staring at him in confusion an authoritative glare, he jumped off his horse.  
  
"Now!!"  
  
The men were quick to obey, and soon they were in the process of hastily making camp on a small meadow to the left of the road. As Aragorn was roughly pulled off his horse, causing his side to protest fiercely, he could hear Donyc ask in confusion,  
  
"Why? Why pitch camp here? He will be passing right through it in a few minutes!"  
  
"Exactly, Donyc, and since there's no way we can avoid him, you will just be in plain sight, camping by the road like a group of huntsmen on their way home. Nólad and I will hide in the trees deeper in the forest," Cornallar explained quickly, whispering to his horse in Elvish, asking it to hide in the wood and return to them later.  
  
Two of the men were just lighting a fire, and the rest was unsaddling the horses and spreading bed rolls out on the grass. Aragorn had to admit that it looked quite authentic, and since some larger hunting parties used to hunt in the twilight hours or at night, it wouldn't attract attention that they camped in broad daylight. He didn't know whether he should feel relieved or not by this last development, on the one hand he was glad they wouldn't try and kill Legolas, on the other hand, well, he had had just enough of Donyc's hospitality.  
  
'Oh, and there's the fact that this crazy elf wants to capture my father, but otherwise I'm fine, no problem…' he thought sarcastically as he was pushed into Donyc's direction, who reached out and grabbed the young ranger's overcoat, pulling him closer.  
  
When the dark haired elf saw the two elven horses disappear between the trees, he turned back to the human commander, gracing him with a stern glance.  
  
"You must not harm the prince unless you have absolutely no other choice, and I mean no other choice, Donyc. We will be watching, and if I see that you hurt him unnecessarily, I will be most displeased. Do you understand?" he said, a threatening undertone in his voice.  
  
Donyc averted his eyes and nodded, turning to the young ranger whose arm he'd still grabbed and who looked at him with undisguised hatred.  
  
"What about him?"  
  
Cornallar gave the young human a cold stare.  
"Hide him. Make sure he keeps quiet until his little friend has passed through."  
  
Donyc frowned and grinned at the young ranger, malicious glee shining in his eyes.  
"That could be difficult, don't you think? I'm sure our intrepid hero here will seize every opportunity to alert his dear friend to his presence," he told the elf, an unspoken question in his eyes.  
  
Cornallar flashed the dark haired man an evil smile before he turned and made his way quickly into the trees, Nólad right behind him.  
  
"Alright then. Don't hit him too hard though," he called over his shoulder, disappearing in the colourful foliage.  
  
Aragorn clenched his jaw and winced inwardly when he saw Donyc draw his sword and turn to him, clearly enjoying himself immensely.  
  
He had just enough time for the thought that he was really getting tired of being hit this way before the hilt of the sword connected with the side of his head and sent him into unconsciousness.  
  
  
  
  
  
**TBC...**  
  
  
**   
  
** _ada - father (daddy)  
edan - human, man  
dúnadan_ - _'Man of the West', ranger  
  
  
  
  
_**What will happen? Will Aragorn suffer irreparable brain damage from being continuously hit on the head? (Readers: What?) Why is this evil elf so bloody angry? And will Legolas be harmed?? (Readers: WHAT????) All this and more here on FF.net, the more reviews I get the sooner! But I'll even ask nicely: Please? Just a few lines?**  
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**Additional A/N:  
  
**Alexa - I PROMISE that he'll get there in chapter 10! Really! I didn't say in what condition, but get there he will... *evil grin* And yes, you guessed it, the wound _is_ poisoned, and this time it wasn't even my fault! I never thought about poisoning the poor prince, but since a lot of people have asked if he was - who am I to disappoint my reviewers? Besides, it even explains a lot of things later on... *g* Well, I don't know... I have an idea for a sequel, but I don't know if I'll have the time for another story, but I'll think about it. And since this story will take some time yet (I think about 8-10 more chapters), I have lots of time! Thanks for the review!!  
Carrie - Carrie - how many times have I told you not to do that? Elrond is always so upset when I get him back, it's impossible to work with him! *g* *narrows eyes* So you've been sick? Well ... poor ... you, then.... *huggles her* Great idea, btw! Blame Tolkien and not our unstable states of mind!! Speaking of which: Are you feeling well? "Leave them alone"?? Why should I? It's soooo much _fun_ writing this!! *evil grin* Well, not really though, I'll have to start ch12 tomorrow, and I'm NOT looking forward to it - I'm not C&S!!! But well, I'm doing my best... *evil cackle*  
E - *sighs* Phew, I'm glad you don't eat stuff like that. But hey, you never know... *g* You're right, he's perfectly sweet! *huggles her baby Estel* And don't worry, he won't be sorry if/when (I haven't decided yet) Donyc gets killed, not after this ... and chapter 11 ... and chapter 12 ... Well, the letter will be there next chappie, I think, and I wholeheartedly agree: I would run as fast as possible in the opposite direction if I had done even a third of what THEY have done to Estel and Elrond finds out about it... *shudders* Angry elven lords. Not good.  
Jitterbug - So you would die if you fell off your chair? Must be a pretty high chair, then... I would miss you though, and there are never enough reviews! NEVER!!! *shakes fist* Ahem, okay... *clears throat* Thanks a lot for the compliments, I try to update as quickly as possible! I hope you liked, ahm, loved this one as well!  
Lievre - *glares at her* Cornallar is _not_, and I repeat, NOT a strange name for an elf! It is a _perfect_ name, especially since I invented it myself! It even means something, but NOW I'm not going to tell you! *gives Evil Glare Of Death* Yeah, Legolas is a bit strange (*ducks several things angry Legolas fans throw at her*), but since Estel is stubborn (*wink*), he will tease him mercilessly! Or he would, if he were at home and not with a troupe of evil men and elves... *evil grin* Thanks for the review! *hugs her* I'm always glad to 'see' a familiar face in the review crowd!  
Acacia - *pats her back* No, you haven't ... Only the right review for this story, don't worry... Yup, Lord Elrond is NOT a happy camper right now - hmm, I don't think that will change for the rest of the story either... *evil grin* Yes yes yes, you'd wnat to know, wouldn't you? *smirks* Sorry, I can't tell you what's going to happen, I took an oath not to tell anything ... my lips are sealed... *g*  
Aurienia - *looks at her suspiciously* How do you know they are gonna get hurt more? HOW? Did Elrohir tell you? I've told him so many times to keep quiet, but does he listen? NO! I will have to think of a suitable punishment... *g* Phew! *relieved* You won't choke me? That's always nice to hear... Thanks for reviewing!!!  
Mouse - *bows* Thank you!! Thank you!! *latches onto her and hugs her* I'm glad you like it! Thanks! Well, yes, the what-did-Elrond-do-to-them-thing: More about that is coming up in the next chapter, but a full explanation (well, most of it) is in ch 11, I've just finished it. Poor elvies... *sobs*   
ThE iNsAnE oNe - Calms down, breathe ... I only said that I would have to hurt him a bit more, not send him into a coma or something... Hm, coma...interesting idea though... *evil grin* Well, Estel is relatively unhurt if you ask me - I mean really, a few scrapes and bruises, a few cracked ribs and a concussion - that's nothing!!! There's more to come! Mhahahaha!! And write more of your story! More more more!! I have to know what happens!! Please?  
Kaeera - *g* Wer hat die beiden denn nicht gern? *knuddelt sie* Tja, koennte vielleicht wirklich daran liegen, dass ich keine Orchesterprobe viermal die Woche habe... Ich schreibe so ungefaehr drei Tage an einem Kapitel, manchmal aber auch vier oder fuenf. Ich versuche aber, mind. 2 Kapitel voraus zu bleiben, falls mir mal was dazwischenkommen sollte... Danke fuer all die lieben Worte *laesst die Zwillinge los und knuddelt Kaeera stattdessen*! Mehr Drama kommt ... eigentlich in jedem Kapitel, also keine Angst! *g*  
Alilacia - *grins smugly* Yes, Donyc is NOT a nice person, is he? I do love writing him though - does that make me evil? I guess so... LOL, Legolas attracts trouble better than a high powered searchlight? *snickers* You could say that... Oh, and I'd advise you not to go after them, I wouldn't like it, Elladan wouldn't like it, and, last but not least, I don't think Cornallar would like it! Nor would Donyc... *g*  
Miss Undastood - Thank you! Well, Estel is about 22/23 years old, this takes place about III 2953. Thanks for all your lovely reviews, hope you liked this one as well!  
Shandrial - Yes, there are not a lot stories about our favourite elf lord, huh? Well, I decided a long time ago that that was very unfair - even though he looks suspiciously like Agent Smith. That's not his fault, I guess... *g* Later on he might even get to do something else than worry or patch them up, imagine! *g*  
Halo - *makes a wild grab for the plushie* Gimme that!! I posted, so ... *huggles Frodo plushie* Owww, you made him, just for me? That's soooooo sweet! *lets go of Frodo plushie and hugs Halo instead* I post as fast as I can! *pouts* _You_shouldn't be complaining! But I'm glad you like it!! *huggles her again* Thanks!  
Stasia - Well, a few of them might die indeed a very painful death - I mean, Legolas's got to kill one or two of them once he finds them! Hasn't he? *snickers* About the body parts ... my sister really wanted me to have Cornallar cut off a finger! Can you believe that? She said otherwise it wouldn't be serious enough... And don't worry, there are at least eight more chapters coming, perhaps even ten or twelve ... knowing me, perhaps even more. I _tried_ to get Legolas to Rivendell by ch 8, and you see how that one worked out... *g* Thanks for reviewing! *huggles her* I LOVE long reviews!  
Lina - LOL, 'unrestrained, but manly sobs'?? Only a Rohirrim could manage that... *g* Hey, I'm glad you liked the little dwarves! Later in the story they even get reinforcements... *evil grin* Hm... *strokes chin thoughtfully* ... right now I don't know which one I hate more, Cornallar or Donyc ... They are both evil, I guess ... *g* Don't be too hard on Éomer, he is a little stupid - but you have to admit, he stopped you every single time you wanted to kill one of the villains! Good work!!! *g*  
Zam - *looks at confetti* Not again ... I can still remember what my mother said about the last party you've thrown me... *shudders at mere thought* But thanks, I guess!! *huggles Zam and orc horde* Thanks! And don't give my baby a 'nudge'! He cannot do anything!! He's hurt and injured and there are mean evil men and elves all around him and ... *takes a deep breath* Let's just say he can't. *glares at Zam* Don't even _think_ about saying "Pornallar". Don't think it! It's a forbidden term, from now on... *g* Legolas in a mother hen costume? Uhm, an ... interesting thought ... *g* The review was great! Nice and long and perfect and ... Thanks!!  
Jenny - Yes, his delay will prove useful - it will make him feel guilty to no end!*cackles evilly* Ooops, I didn't say that, just ignore it, okay? Thanks for all your reviews!  
Ciria - *ducks a pineapple* What the heck? Well Stan is Stan because ... do you know Monty Python: The Life of Brian? If you do, then you'll know... *g* Well, our fav evil elf has only two elves and a lot of nasty mercenary men, and about his motives: It's all coming in the next two chapters, I figured that you'd all kill me if I didn't tell you after more than ten chapters... *g* Dammit, I'd hoped nobody would notice... Well, I'm not really sure about the visions - I just felt that Legolas needed some extra motivation ... Let's just say that it's a singular event and won't repeat itself, he's not Elrond after all... Owww, thank you! *huggles fluffy bunny* Can you it fluffy bunnies? Hey, just kidding!! *g*  
ManuKu - *schnippisch* Ja, und IHR seid schon bei Kapitel 6 und der arme Legolas vegetiert noch immer mit Galadriel Fuessen vor sich hin! Was ist besser, frage ich dich??? *g* *guckt sich stolz um* Ja, meine beiden Fieslinge mag ich auch... *taetschelt Elben den Kopf* Donyc allerdings kann ich nicht leiden, diesen Fiesling... *denkt an das, was mit Aragorn noch passiert* Na ja, Cornallar eigentlich auch nicht.... Danke fuer deine lieben reviews, ich freue mich immer ganz doll!! *knuddelt ManuKu* Danke!  
Dragonsgirl22 - Owww, thank you, the greatest reward is to get so many nice reviews! LOL, I love reviews, I know, surprise, you'd never have guessed... *g* And, actually, this chapter is 9 ½ pages long. I tried to write each chapter in about 8 pages, but have given up long ago, now I'm happy when they are no longer than ten each! But I update frequently!! *g*  
Trustingfriendship - That's a nice name! Very sweet! *grins happily* I'm glad you like it, and don't worry, they will pay them back for every single bruise - eventually ... Thanks a lot for the review!  
Imbefaniel - Yes, a lot of people liked the green hair - all but Elladan. Don't ask me, I don't get it either. He's a very weird elf... *g* Thanks for your kind words and I hope you liked this bit as well!  
  
  
***huggles all reviewers* Thanks a lot for the encouragement! It's great to know what people think about your story - and sometimes they even give you wonderful ideas - like poisoning poor innocent elven princes... *evil grin***  
  
  



	10. Paths Not Taken

**Disclaimer:** For full disclaimer, please see chapter 1.  
  
  
**A/N (I):**  
  
**Okay, just to make one thing clear: HE IS SICK!!!! ILL!!! POISONED!!!  
*takes a deep breath* Well, whatever, but Legolas is really not to blame. He is not, and I repeat, NOT thinking clearly.  
  
I have divided the Author's notes in parts I and II this time, because I don't want to spoil anything for you now. *g*  
  
For those who asked: The story will be about 20 chapters long, I think. To be perfectly honest with you, I don't really know, since I'm writing ch 12 right now (which is so aptly named "The Chapter Which I Really Do NOT Want To Write"), but I think not much longer. But hey, that's coming from a person who originally planned to let Legolas arrive in Rivendell in ch 8, so... *g*  
  
BUT NOW HE IS!!! ARIVING IN IMLADRIS, I MEAN! REALLY!!! *readers faint in shock* I know, hard to believe, but still... *g*  
  
Oh, and the answers to - some - of the questions will be provided in chapter 11, so, only one more chapter of complete confusion!! *g*  
  
Okay, and here is Chapter 10, which will probably NOT increase my popularity, but hey, the characters have yet to complain. That _might_ be because they're unconscious all the time, but... *evil grin*  
  
Enjoy!! And do not hesitate to tell me how much you hate me! *charming smile*  
  
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Chapter 10  
  
  
Legolas watched the play of the shadows that danced across the forest floor with a keen interest. Cocking his head to one side, he studied a rather interesting shape he was just approaching.  
  
'It looks like a lizard … no … more like a spider, that's it!' he thought happily and would almost have laughed aloud, something which caused the ever decreasing reasonable part of his brain to frown in concern. Suppressing the laughter that threatened to overtake him, Legolas shook his head and tried to focus his eyes on his surroundings, which had started to shift in and out of focus in a rather unsettling manner.  
Damn that heat, he thought furiously, how was one supposed to think clearly or find one's way through a wood whose trees would insist on switching places when it was hot like this?  
  
His scattered thoughts were interrupted by the sound of voices ahead of him, human voices, and quite a lot of them, at least twelve. The sudden adrenaline did wonders to clear his head, and he moved one hand to grasp his bow, while he reined in the horse with the other to a walking pace. The elven prince's silver-blue eyes pierced the undergrowth effortlessly, and he made out a camp of what appeared to be hunters about half a mile down the road that wound its way around thick tree trunks.   
  
Legolas shook his head slightly and frowned in confusion as he drew closer, they looked like perfectly ordinary humans, dressed in dark and earthen coloured clothes made out of rough home spun linen, but … something didn't feel right about them. There was something just slightly odd about them, as if they were trying too hard not to look into his direction and were behaving just a bit too cheerful.  
  
When the prince's horse came into calling distance one of the men, tall, dark haired and very much in command, lifted his head and called out a greeting, an easily visible look of unmasked surprise on his face.   
  
"Good day to you, Master Elf! 'Tis a rare occurrence to meet one of the fair folk on the roads these days. Let me introduce myself: I am Donyc and this is my second-in-command, if you want to call it that way, Addramyr," he said, nodding at a dark blonde human at his side.   
  
Legolas studied the human in front of him closely, even though he acted friendly enough, the elven prince needed only to take a good look at his eyes to decide that he couldn't stand him.  
  
"Greetings, Master Human!" he replied politely. "What is a group of men doing here, so far away from the next human settlement?"  
  
"We are hunters, looking to fill the storerooms before winter sets in," the dark haired human replied just a bit too quickly, taking a step closer to the elf's horse. "Would you like to dismount and join us at the fire? It's been a long time since we've met any of your kind, and we would like to hear a story or two about what's going on in Middle-Earth."  
  
The fair haired elf shuddered at the mere thought of settling down next to a fire, did this foolish human really believe he needed any more heat?   
  
Forcing himself to concentrate on the situation at hand, Legolas eyed the man wearily, trying to find signs of deception, but oddly enough he didn't feel as if Donyc was planning to harm him. That he was concealing something was evident, but he was a stranger after all, and an elf at that, so why should he tell him everything about himself?  
  
'Besides,' he decided, 'I really don't feel so good right now. Perhaps I'm imagining things.'  
  
Letting his gaze wander over the humans in front of him, he tried for the last time to pinpoint the reason for the unease he felt, but there was nothing unusual about the camp in front of him: A few humans were leaning against trees, talking among themselves or looking after their horses, some were gathered round a fire over which a wild boar was roasting on a stick, closely supervised by a young human with wavy light brown hair who shot awed looks at the fair elven prince. Others were resting on their sleeping mats, blankets partially pulled over their heads.  
  
"Master Elf?" he heard Donyc's voice ask in what he probably thought was a concerned tone of voice, but which sounded to Legolas elven ears impatient and more than a little bit ill at ease.  
  
Legolas shook his head, wincing as that movement sent the world into a sickening spin.  
  
"No thank you, Donyc, but I'm in a hurry and am trying to reach my destination as quickly as possible. Good luck with your hunt."  
  
The fair haired prince did not miss the identical looks of relief that flashed across the humans' faces so quickly he wondered for a moment if he had imagined them.  
'Well,' he decided, 'Whatever it is they are hiding from me, it can hardly be my concern.'  
  
Donyc nodded silently and stepped back from the elf's horse, making room for him to pass.  
  
"I understand. Thank you and may you find quickly what you seek."  
  
Legolas gave the men a slight nod and spurred his horse on, his senses screaming at him that something was wrong, that somehow he needed to go back, but his mind was too fuzzy and tired to comprehend why. All he wanted was get to Rivendell as quickly as possible, possibly before he dropped out of the saddle because of this cursed heat.  
  
When the white horse had moved out of sight, Addramyr let himself sink to the forest floor, running a hand over his face.  
"That was close for a moment," he muttered, raising his eyes to meet his friend's.  
  
"Yes, that it was," Donyc agreed, a slightly disappointed look in his dark eyes.  
Well, he decided inwardly, you couldn't have everything. It would have been a lot more fun to torment the ranger by making him witness his friend's pain, but well, he would think of something else. Something even better.  
  
  
  
  
When Nólad returned to the hastily pitched camp about half an hour later, the men were already busy packing up their belongings and readying themselves to continue eastwards. He and his friend had remained in the trees to make sure the Prince of Mirkwood had really left before returning to the ground to rejoin the humans.  
Nólad frowned slightly when he remembered the sight of the prince when he had spoken with Donyc in the camp. To every elven eye it had been apparent that the young prince had been unwell, his posture had been too stiff and his face far too pale.  
  
'That explains at least why he didn't notice me in the tree,' he thought, dropping out of the trees, 'But he must have been sicker than I thought; I didn't think he would be fooled by this.'  
  
He still remembered the last time he had seen the younger elf, about a year ago and in the company of his human friend, both of them full of life and laughing merrily. Nólad shook his head, wishing not for the first time that he and his lord had never left their home that day. If his friend had never seen the ranger and had not inquired about his identity, all this could have been prevented.  
  
Seeing that Cornallar was already talking to Donyc, who was shouting orders at his men now and then, he hurried to catch up. He arrived just in time to see his friend give the human an ironic smile.  
  
"Well done, Master Human, you could almost have fooled me. The boar was a very nice touch and I really liked your parting words, 'May you find quickly what you seek'; don't you think you laid it on a bit too thickly there?"  
  
Donyc gave the two elves an arrogant grin.  
"Well, thank you, even though I still would have preferred to shoot him or take him with us. But well, it's too late now anyway. I was slightly surprised myself how smoothly it all went."  
  
Nólad wondered for a moment if he should tell this presumptuous human that the only reason why he had been able to fool the prince was that he was obviously quite ill, but reconsidered quickly. Somehow he doubted that information was something the man wanted to hear.  
  
His friend looked around the camp quickly and asked the human commander,  
"Where did you hide the ranger?"  
  
The man's grin broadened even more and he led the elves over to one of the sleeping mats, pulling away the blankets and exposing the still body of the bound human.  
  
"As you said, Master Elf, if you want to hide something, then do so in plain sight."  
  
The fair haired elf looked down at Aragorn, who was lying on his left side, his dark hair caked with blood where Donyc had struck him, and inwardly winced in sympathy. When he awoke, he would have a mighty headache, that much was certain.  
  
Cornallar nodded, turning back to the dark haired man.  
"Well done indeed, Donyc. We will leave in ten minutes. Make sure he is secured on his horse, we wouldn't want him to fall and get hurt in the process, would we?"  
  
Donyc laughed and turned round, walking over to Addramyr to tell him of their new orders.  
  
The two elves turned when they heard the sound of light hoofbeat on the forest floor, and were greeted by the sight of their horses, which came plodding into the camp, looking quite pleased with themselves. Walking over to them, Nólad grasped his horse's halter and stroked its nose gently, much to the animals delight.  
Fixing light grey eyes on his friend, he asked,  
  
"So you are going to accompany us to the foot of the mountains and return the day after tomorrow?"  
  
His friend nodded absent-mindedly, patting his horse's neck.  
"Yes. It's best if you continue alone from then on. I will make sure we get what we want."  
  
His voice troubled, the fair haired elf insisted,  
"Are you sure this is the way? It's not too late to stop yet, my friend. We can still leave him here, pay the _edain_ and vanish without a trace, just as we have done before."  
  
His companion turned his head slowly, hatred etched into every inch of his face.  
"Yes, _mellonamin_, I am sure. I will finish what we have started. I will not allow him to get away with what he's done so easily, even after all those years."  
  
Nólad lowered his head, and when he raised his eyes again to meet his friend's dark ones, his face was bare of expression.  
  
"Are you so sure he will do what we ask?" he queried in a soft voice, looking at his friend.  
  
Cornallar's eyed burned with fierce hatred and a determination so strong that it stopped all questions right from the start.  
  
"Oh yes, my friend, he will. Unless he wants to get his beloved little human son back bit by bit, he will do _exactly_ as we ask."  
  
  
  
  
Legolas breathed a deep sigh of relief when he finally saw the roofs of Rivendell appear in his vision. Well, at least they appeared shortly in his vision, before shifting out of focus again. He shook his head, which didn't help matters in the slightest, because that suddenly and unexpectedly caused the world to turn upside down.   
  
Frowning slightly and glaring at the sky that was where only minutes ago the path had been, he arrived at the decision that _this_ was definitely weird. The part of him that was still capable of coherent thought gave a mental sigh of relief that he finally understood what it had been trying to tell him for the whole trip, a trip that had taken a lot longer than it ought to have taken, for darkness had fallen some time ago and all that was preventing him from plummeting to his doom down into the ravine were the keen senses of his horse that bore him safely and soundlessly through the night.  
  
'Well,' the elven prince decided as the white horse began to climb up the short path that would take them to the main gates, 'The fact that it has taken me so long to get here might even have its advantages. Perhaps Lord Elrond has already retired for the night and I can slip past him unnoticed.'  
  
The reasonable part of his mind roared with laughter at that thought, but Legolas chose to ignore it. He would have to think of a way to pacify the Lord of Rivendell and at the same time prevent him from sending a message to his father. His mind spinning with ideas that went from bribery to poisoning the carrier pigeons, he finally crossed the gates and rode into the courtyard, not really expecting to find anyone but perhaps a few stable hands there, but he was mistaken: A rather large group of elves and their horses occupied the large space, having apparently just returned from a longer trip.  
  
The fair haired prince frowned in confusion and searched the crowd for familiar faces, which wasn't really an easy task since every person seemed to exist twice. After a while he had found the face of one of the twins – it could have been both of them as well – and called out a greeting.  
  
The dark haired elf's head swivelled round to identify the newcomer and his face broke into a welcoming smile, even thought the prince thought to have seen a look of disappointment flash across the fair features.  
  
"Legolas! Thank the Valar you have arrived safely, _mellonamin_!" Elrohir called, suppressing the disappointment he felt when he saw that it was Legolas, not his human brother.  
  
He took a few steps into Legolas' direction and prepared to say more before he took a good look at the prince's face and hurried his steps.  
  
"Legolas? Legolas, are you alright?"  
  
The fair haired prince did not answer, he just kept staring at the younger twin, head cocked to one side and squinting at him.   
Elrohir took in his friend's appearance; he was far too pale and a cold sweat covered his brow. His silver-blue eyes were huge and unfocused, and his posture was unsteady at best. The twin's keen eyes scanned his body quickly, wandering over the slashed leather vest and focusing on the slowly spreading crimson stain on the prince's tunic.  
He quickly covered the distance that lay between him and the white horse, Estel for once forgotten as he grasped the horse's reins.  
  
"You are injured."  
  
Legolas tried to decide to which one of the heads he should speak to, but gave up quickly and chose a point right in the middle of them to focus his eyes on.  
  
"That's probably a rather accurate assessment … Elladan," he hazarded a guess.  
  
Elrohir frowned and looked up at his friend, he must be quite sick indeed to confuse him with his brother. He hadn't done that for more than two thousand years.  
  
"Come, my friend, let me help you. We need to get you off this horse and into the house."  
  
Legolas looked as if he wanted to protest, before his glazed eyes wandered to the left and came to rest on another elf that was approaching, or two other elves, from his point of view.  
  
"I don't think that will be necessary, _mellonamin_," he said, trying desperately not to fall as the twin helped him to dismount and stifling the scream of pain that rose in his throat, "I feel well. There's no need to disturb your father."  
  
His eyes narrowed to mere slits as he looked at the approaching twin.  
  
"Elrohir, why is your hair green?"  
  
At Legolas' question Elrohir's eyes grew wide when he watched his brother's reaction that ranged somewhere between anger, annoyance and sadness as Elladan remembered the last time he had though about his hair – when Estel had still been there.  
The stress and worry of the past few days resurfaced, and soon the younger twin found himself lying on the ground, giggling madly.  
  
Legolas looked down at him and tried to decide if this was normal behaviour for the dark haired elf.  
'Yes, quite normal,' the sensible part of his brain supplied. Satisfied, the elven prince gave a nod and tried to escape the twins' help as quietly as possible. There was no way he would face Lord Elrond if he had any other choice.  
Unfortunately, in his current condition moving quietly was not an option, and so he soon found that a hand had grabbed his shoulder, holding him back.  
  
"Legolas, you are not thinking clearly. We need to get you inside, father needs to take a look at your wounds," Elladan said, trying to get through to his friend. He turned to Isál, who had stood at the side, watching the whole spectacle unfold with unbelieving eyes.  
"Isál, could you please go inside and alert my father that Prince Legolas requires his help? He is supposed to be resting, but I'm quite sure that he is awake, especially with all this racket that is going on here."  
  
Isál tore his eyes away from the sight of one of his young lords rolling on the floor laughing hysterically and the other one restraining a very obviously ill Prince of Mirkwood who tried, for an elf in his condition rather skilfully, to escape his friend's grasp, and nodded at Elrond's oldest son.  
  
"Yes, my lord," he murmured, swallowing the laughter that threatened to overtake him and moving quickly up the stone stairs. In this house it truly never got boring.  
  
After a firm kick that the older twin had directed at his shin, Elrohir regained his composure somewhat and rose to help his brother force their unwilling friend into the direction of the main house.  
  
"Everything is going to be alright, Legolas, father will be able to help you," he muttered reassuringly and pushed the prince forward slightly.  
  
Legolas looked at the doors in front of them that loomed as darkly as the gates of Barad-dûr itself in his restricted view and frowned.  
  
"Oh yes, I do not doubt that, it's the _look_ he will give me while doing it that worries me," he mumbled as his eyelids grew heavier and large grey spot began to dance across his vision. After a second he added, confused,   
  
"Where is Strider? I haven't seen him, wasn't he with you?"  
  
At the prince's question the twins looked at each other, the same look of pain and fear flashing across their identical faces.  
Elladan took a deep breath and lied,  
  
"He will be here soon, Legolas. Don't worry. We will talk about this once you wake up, you will feel better then."  
  
Legolas didn't answer and the twins felt the body under their hands go slack. They exchanged a worried look and quickened their pace.  
  
'I will _not _lose him as well,' Elrohir thought furiously, 'Not after Estel, not now…'  
  
He shifted his grip on his friend's arm as they moved through the corridors, causing servants and elven lords alike to scatter out of their way as they raced into the direction of the healing wing, carrying the unconscious elf between them.  
  
  
  
  
When Aragorn awoke, he lay very still, not moving a muscle. If he had learned anything at all about head wounds, then it was that one should move as little as possible if one didn't want one's head to fall off one's shoulders and roll away.  
He squeezed his eyes tightly shut against the pain in his head and decided after a while that the tiny industrious dwarves had apparently received reinforcements. Reinforcements, by the feel of it, in form of at least a dozen cave trolls that were beating themselves up with their clubs.   
  
He decided that listening to his surroundings might help him to ignore the pain and dizziness he felt, so he tried to hear something else than the sounds of the hacking dwarves and grunting trolls, which wasn't easy in the beginning, but after a while he managed to make out some noises.  
  
He was apparently lying on his back, his hands bound behind him, and somewhere nearby he could hear the loud breathing of a human. The sounds of other men echoed a bit away, as well as the cracking and popping sounds of a fire and the soft sounds of horses that were grazing nearby. Fighting the nausea that rose in his throat, he opened first one, then two eyes, thankfully acknowledging the fact that it was dark. The thought of sunlight was really not a pleasant one right now. He heard the man near him move and seconds later he saw a bearded face appear in front of his eyes.  
  
"Ah, woken up, have we?" the guard asked, nudging him in the ribs with his club for good measure. The club hit bruises and cracked bones, and with a soft cry Aragorn tried to curl himself up, which made flashes of light appear in his vision. Quickly deciding that his head would probably burst if he moved another muscle, the ranger froze and concentrated on breathing deeply, forcing as much oxygen into his lungs as possible. After a while, the ground stopped shaking and spinning beneath him and the pain in his chest subsided, and he opened his eyes again to see Seobryn approach with a water skin and something that looked to his slightly blurred eyes like an old rag.  
The boy kneeled down in front of the bound man and uncorked the water skin, wetting the cloth.  
  
"Don't be afraid, ranger, I will not hurt you. Nólad has sent me to clean your head wound."  
  
Aragorn tried to give him a smile, but by the look on the boy's face it probably didn't even look remotely like one. Suddenly remembering something, he bolted upright – or he tried to, freezing and gasping in pain before he had even moved more than a few inches. Blinking through his hazy vision, he ground out,  
  
"Legolas? What happened to him? The elf that you met, is he alright?"  
  
Seobryn pushed him back onto the ground, understanding dawning on his young face.  
  
"He is fine. He stopped briefly to talk to Donyc and rode on. Relax now and let me work, he was not harmed."  
  
Aragorn held still while Seobryn carefully washed away blood and dirt and closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of cold water on his skin. He sighed inwardly; he felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Legolas was fine, and he and the twins would find him, of that he was sure.  
He must have dozed off for a while, because when he opened his eyes again, Seobryn was gone, and Nólad kneeled next to him, inspecting his face.  
The fair haired elf looked at him, an ironic gleam in his eyes.  
  
"You will live," he told the ranger in Elvish, rising smoothly to his feet.  
  
Aragorn gave a short laugh and regretted it instantly, squeezing his eyes shut again against the wave of dizziness and pain that rolled over him.  
"Yes, I am forced to agree," he managed after a few seconds, looking up at the elf.  
  
Nólad's face was expressionless as he gazed down at the bound human, and he turned round to make his way back to the camp, but stopped when he heard the human's soft, still pain filled voice ask,  
  
"Why? Why is he doing this? What has Elrond done to him? And what do I have to do with it?"  
  
The fair haired elf sighed, turned back towards the human and studied his face closely.  
  
"A long … a very long time ago he lost someone that was very dear to him. Someone that was his last bond to all that once was, and all that could ever be. He blames Lord Elrond for that loss, as well as your forefathers. He will make sure he gets his revenge, even if it destroys him and all those involved in the process. He has nothing left but hatred now," Nólad explained softly.  
  
"But whom? Whom did he lose?"  
  
Nólad smile sadly at the young ranger, clearly caught in some memories only he alone could see.  
"His son. He lost his son nearly three thousand years ago. He wants blood for blood."  
  
Aragorn was still sitting staring straight ahead after the elf had already left, soundlessly disappearing into the dark trees. His son … Even despite the situation he was in, despite the pain and fear, he felt pity for his captor; he knew how hard it could be on a parent to lose his or her child, and especially hard for elven parents, who did reckon with the possibility of their children's deaths even less than human ones.  
  
He relaxed his body as best as he could in the position he was in at the moment and suppressed a shudder when he remembered Nólad's words. "He lost his son … he wants blood for blood." That did _not_ sound good for his immediate future, he thought.  
  
'It is finally time to make use of the tricks the twins taught me,' he decided, weariness once again stealing over him, 'Tomorrow morning I will make sure I have enough scope to work on these bonds. I will not stay here and wait for this crazy elf to do with me as he pleases.'   
  
With this he closed his eyes and gave in to the sleepiness that had tugged at the edges of his awareness, thanking Elbereth that she had watched over his friend and kept him from harm.  
  
  
  
  
Legolas' mind was spinning faster than a wheel on a cart by the time his consciousness finally decided to return to his body. He tried to bring some order into the chaos that filled his head, with only limited success. He vaguely remembered travelling to Rivendell, and for some reason it had seemed urgent to reach it quickly, but why he couldn't say. There were some images of humans he had talked with, memories of a man with dark, shrouded eyes, but when had that been? The prince remembered riding into the courtyard and speaking to the twins, but everything got blurry after that.  
  
Resigning himself to the fact that he would have to open his eyes if he wanted to get some answers, he struggled with the impossibly heavy lids and managed to pry them open after a few tries. Blinking slowly, he waited until his eyes had adjusted to the early morning light that found its way through the gap between the closed curtains and surveyed the room. He was where he usually stayed in Imladris, a spacious room on the upper floor, next to Aragorn's and only a few metres away from the twins'.  
  
"Aragorn!" he suddenly gasped, all of a sudden remembering why he had been in a hurry to get here in the first place. He scanned the room quickly, but to his surprise couldn't find the young man anywhere. Legolas frowned in concern; this was a most unusual behaviour for his friend. If his experiences with the ranger in the past had taught the elven prince one thing, it was that if he was injured, even if it was only a scratch, the human would refuse to leave his side until he deemed Legolas hale again. And, in Legolas' experience, that took quite a long time.  
  
The fair haired elf took a deep breath as the memories came flooding back, memories of his forebodings, the vision of Estel's prone body…   
'Well,' Legolas decided wryly as he made up his mind and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, 'Lord Elrond will get his chance to glare at me after all.'  
  
He stopped shortly to inspect his wounds; both his arm and side were wrapped in clean white linen and when Legolas breathed deeply, he could still smell the lingering scent of athelas on them. But the most important thing was that neither hurt him anymore, well, if he didn't move too quickly, that was. He could already feel his elven body begin to mend torn skin and muscle. Grinning sheepishly, he got to his feet and grabbed a robe that someone had placed over the back of the big armchair that was sitting next to his bed.  
  
'Perhaps Aragorn dragged it here and merely had to leave for a second,' the prince mused as he made his way out of the room and down the corridor, intent on reaching Lord Elrond's study as quickly as possible. Clinging to the hope that his friend was here somewhere and had not managed to get himself into trouble once again, he reached the main staircase that led to the lower levels and froze when he heard Elrohir speak Estel's name with such pain in his voice that it made his heart go cold.  
  
"I don't know what to do, father. We couldn't find any tracks yesterday, all we can do is fan out and look randomly for Estel, in the hope of stumbling over something by chance."  
  
Legolas clenched the railing with both hands. He was too late. Too late to help his human friend, too late to warn them… He took a few steps forward on suddenly slightly shaking legs, stopping on top of the stairs to look down into the hall, which was empty except for Lord Elrond and his sons.  
  
Elladan ran a hand through his hair and shook his head.  
"I don't know either, _ada_. I will go back and see to Legolas though, I think he shouldn't be alone when he wakes up. He might be confused and will worry if Estel's not there. Besides, I think we should wait till he's woken; perhaps he has seen something on his way here."  
  
Elrond nodded tiredly and opened his mouth to reply, but stopped when his eyes came to rest on the lithe figure of the prince that stood on the top stairs.  
  
"And just how long have you been standing there, out of bed without my permission, son of Thranduil?" he asked, giving Legolas the _look_.  
  
Legolas swallowed nervously.  
  
"I beg your pardon, my lord, and far be it from my mind to do anything that displeases you," he interrupted himself to shoot the broadly grinning Elrohir a warning glare, "But it is of utmost importance that I speak with you immediately. Or," he corrected himself as he came down the stairs and lowered himself onto a wooden bench, brushing off the twins' help, "It was. For it is already too late, it appears."  
  
At this Elrond lowered his eyes and the twins' identical grins disappeared as quickly as they had come.  
  
"Please, Lord Elrond," he begged quietly, "Tell me. What has happened to Aragorn?"  
  
Elrond sighed and raised his head to meet Legolas' worried gaze, eyes filled with heartrending pain.  
  
"We don't know, Legolas. He disappeared almost three days ago. We've sent out search parties, of course, but all we could find were the tracks of those who took him, leading to the north. They lose themselves in the wilds. We don't know," the Lord of Rivendell admitted softly.  
  
Legolas blanched at these words, his heart filling with worry and fear for his friend, and a burning fury for those who had done this.  
He had just opened his mouth to ask what they knew of the people who had captured his friend, when the main doors were pushed open and Elvynd entered and bowed before his lord.  
Legolas studied the elf closely, he had spoken to him quite often in the past. He was a good friend of Isál, one of the younger captains of the guard like him, and kept watch over the paths leading into the valley from the north-west.   
'And right now,' he decided thoughtfully, 'He is far too pale.'  
  
Elvynd swallowed twice in an attempt to regain his breath; it was obvious that he had run to get here as quickly as possible.  
  
"My lords, I'm sorry to interrupt you like this, but we found something you should see."  
  
With that he pulled out a small messenger tube, which looked quite ordinary, except for the fact that neither the sender nor the addressee was noted on the outside. Elvynd handed the tube to Elrond, who took it, looking at it as though it might turn into a baby spider and bite him without warning. When Elrond began to open the leather straps that kept the tube closed, the young elf added,  
  
"It was attached to one of the boundary posts to the north, the one close to the ancient ash tree. We did not read it, but there's something in there … we brought it back as quickly as possible."  
  
Elrond nodded and tilted the messenger tube slightly, closing his fingers tightly around the object that came tumbling out and unfolding the piece of paper.  
Legolas watched with growing concern as the Lord of Rivendell paled while reading the letter, up to the point where the twins unconsciously edged closer to their father's side should he collapse. When Elrond reached the end of the text, he looked as though he had just met the ghost of Sauron himself, his face so pale Legolas was sure he could see the veins beneath the bloodless skin.   
  
With a gasp Elrond let go of the piece of parchment, which fluttered away in the breeze that carried golden leaves into the brightly lit room, and let himself sink into a chair.  
  
"Father? Father, what is it?" Elladan asked concerned, crouching low in front of the chair to look into his father's face.  
  
The older elf closed his eyes and shook his head slightly, clearly having forgotten about their presence.  
  
"Cornallar. O the Valar, please, not Cornallar," he whispered so softly the other elves could hardly understand him.  
  
"Legolas?" Elrohir asked his friend, confusion and helplessness in his voice.  
  
But Legolas hardly listened to the sounds around him, his eyes fixed on the object that had fallen from Lord Elrond's hand when he had collapsed into the chair.  
It was a small item, not much more than an inch in diameter, a small silver, leaf-shaped brooch used to close a cloak or wide shirt. It was lying on its side, but what the prince saw of it was enough for him to identify its owner.   
He had seen the design before, the delicately forged silver with the single word on it, engraved in beautifully wrought elven characters. He kept staring at the small leaf until the outline of the brooch started to blur.   
  
Estel's brooch.  
  
  
  
  
**  
** **TBC...**  
  
  
  
  
_edain - humans, men  
mellonamin - my friend  
ada - father (daddy)  
  
  
  
_  
**A/N (II):  
  
*peeks out from behind her pet balrog's back*   
Okay, I KNOW you are quite upset right now, so let me explain a few things, okay? *readers mumble angry threats, but nod reluctantly*  
  
Well, first Legolas needed to get back to Rivendell, since he had been poisoned, okay? He needed Elrond's help.  
Second, I couldn't have him collapse and/or get captured by the meanies, because he had been, once again, poisoned, and would have DIED there. Nólad**** may know a thing or two about healing, but let's face it, he's no match for Elrond, right?  
And third, admit it: Now there is the possibility for an amazing guilt trip for our dear elven prince in the next few chapters, and I just couldn't resist the temptation. *evil grin* Besides, Elladan/Elrohir/Elrond will need all the help they can possibly get.  
  
That's logical, isn't it? *ducks several heavy objects* Gosh, you are stubborn, aren't you?  
  
Oh, and last but not least, about the brooch:  
I just couldn't think of anything else. First I wanted to take his sword or a dagger, but then I realized that it would hardly fit into the tube. Then I thought about jewellry, but that would have meant that Cornallar would have found the Ring of Barahir, which would NOT have been a good thing for out dear ranger.  
But, hey: My sister wanted me to have Cornallar send a finger, or the tongue or some ... other things. She insisted that no serious kidnapper would just send a brooch. But I figured you wouldn't be too happy about that, so the brooch it is... *g*  
  
  
Well, don't hesitate to tell me why I am mean and evil and sadistic and ... I love to hear what people think, especially about things like this.   
Meaning: Reviews are much appreciated. That's a rather weak term, actually... *g***  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
**Additional A/N:  
**  
E - *hangs head* I'm sorry. Really! But as I said, he _needed_ to get to Rivendell and since _some _ people here insisted that I poison him... I hope you still liked it, at least Legolas is okay now! *nervous smile* That's something, isn't it? ISN'T IT??  
Alexa - Wow! Four, no five reviews! Thanks! *huggles her* Well, I'll admit, the note last time was fake, just to make you nervous, as you see, nothing happened to Legolas. I know that doesn't make me very popular right now, but it was the right thing to do. *folds arms across chest* Yes. It was. Hmm, Legolas-Elrond-interaction... I dunno right now. I think I have more Elladan/Elrohir/Legolas interaction, but I'll see what I can do - anything to keep my readers happy! *g* Oh, and I totally agree - someone should give Aragorn a helmet or something! *evil grin* About Legolas' age nothing is known, but I've always assumed the same. The twins are (in III 2953) 2823 old though. Thanks for the reviews! *hugs her*  
Firnsarnien - *grins evilly* Yes, I know, I and cliffies - not a good combination! Nor a healthy one for the readers, mind you... *blushes* Thanks for the compliments! And, to be honest, I'm always one or two chapters ahead, right now I'm writing ch 12. Thanks for reviewing!  
Imbefaniel - Sorry! (Why do I have the feeling I will have to say that a lot more times today? Could it be a kind of ... foreboding? A premonition? Or logical deduction?? *g*) But you're right, it would indeed have complicated things - too much! And since I didn't want poor Legolas to die ... and I couldn't resisit the potential guilt trip... Ah well. I'm evil, that's it. Hope you still liked it!  
Kaeera - *kichert* Ja ja ja, wer mag denn Drama/Angst nicht? (Legolas, Aragorn, Elrond, Elladan/Elrohir heben die Hand: ICH!!!) Ach, seid IHR mal still... *g* Und seid unbedorgt, edle Dame, ich glaube nicht, dass sich da was in naechster Zeit aendern wird! V.a. Kapitel 12... *schaudert* Mensch, ich bin doch nicht C&S! Warum musste ich sowas unbedingt hier drin haben... *schuettelt Kopf* Ich Idiot. Na ja, genug gelabert, danke!! Ich hoffe, es gefaellt dir weiterhin! *umarmt sie*  
Alilacia - *points proudly at chapter* This one _isn't_ a cliffy! Well, not a real one, anyway... Please, DON'T hurt my characters! I know Donyc is a jerk and evil and sadistic, but I need him! And don't worry, once his family/friend get their hands on this evil troupe of idiots, they will regret having ever cometo Rivendell in the first place! *evil grin* I can hardly wait!!   
Lina - *removes her pink fluffy earmuffs which have protected her against Lina's screams of protest* What did you say? *looks down at earmuffs and strokes them lovingly* Aren't they great? Every author should have a pair of these! *edges backwards slowly* Okay, Lina, everything's going to be just fine... *remembers ch12* ... eventually ... *looks at Éomer* Is she safe to approach now? (Éomer: *shrugs* I dunno. But she thinks I'm cute! *grins*) Heck, Rohirrim... Well, but he's right, I wouldn't kill our dear Estel - hurt him is an entirely different thing though... *evil grin*  
Miss Undastood - *gulp* You really wouldn't stop reviewing? *hastily* Okay, okay, I'm posting, see? *huggles her* Thanks for all your reviews (including your future ones *wink wink*), and your lovely compliments! *blushes* Thanks!  
Halo - *huggles her some more* See? Your prayers have been heard, Legolas was not harmed! He is in Rivendell and safe and with his friends... *someone: What about Aragorn, though?* Ah well, you can't have everything, can you? He'll be fine... in the end ... *evil grin* Thanks so much for reviewing, I LOVE seeing your reviews! *gives her another hug for good measure* Thank you!!  
CalliTrakand - *pats Calli's back* That's a very sensible attitude! Really! Reviews are just soooo great, they really DO make me post faster! Really!! *confused* Cut back on the cliffies? Why? They are soooo much fun!! *evil grin* Well, I don't know, but somehow it just happens! There's nothing I can do!? It's my alter ego, I swear, she makes me do these things! But I'll see what I can do, although ch11 is another one, sorry, it's already finished... That's the chapter in which you find out about the evil elf's motives as well, so only a few more days (hmm, considering that FF.net is closing on Friday and Saturday, really some more!) and then you'll understand... *g*  
Aurienia - *blushes* Wow ... so many compliments ... thank you! *outraged* What do you mean, knowing me something's gonna happen? I resent that!! *g* Okay, so maybe it happens sometimes in the story... *g* *slaps Aurienia's hands* Stop biting nails! If you think _this_ is bad, you won't have any nails left by the end of the story! Well, yes, Nólad, I haven't quite decided yet, but I think he's more on the good side. A bit. At least right now. Might change, though... *evil cackle* Everything's possible!  
Zam - *tries to keep her back with one hand while with the other grabbing Lina* Éomer! Help me!! They're getting away! They will start beating up my characters again! Help!!! *looks at Zam's visions in disgust* Only YOU could've come up with something like that! Typical! LOL, the 'worry gene'?! You could say that... And then it WOULD be all his fault, as well... *g* *slaps Zam* Stop being mean to poor Elrohir! *huggles him* OF COURSE he is wise, he's an elf, after all... *hides behind Stan* I AM SORRY! But as I explained, it was necessary not to let Legolas get captured! Otherwise he would be dead right now, do you want that? DO YOU??? *pokes her*  
Carrie - *takes off her pink earmuffs hastily and grabs Carrie* No!! Don't! Stop it! Don't hurt him! We still need him to get to Aragorn in time and save him from this crazy elf... Don't worry, Estel's gonna be fine - sometime in the future, that is ... not right now... *evil grin* Besides, it's not really Legolas' fault, I'm not really sure whose fault it is though... *shrugs* I'll have to think about it.  
Larus - I'm not blackmailing! All I do is make a friendly suggestion ot two! *fake smile* But I think I will have to come to Legolas' defence here: The poor boy, uhm, sorry, elf was sick! He was hot and ill and hurt and poisoned and ... *takes a deep breath* Okay, let's just say he wasn't feeling well, okay? I mean, even elves can get sick (if they are poisoned first, that is), and then they can act just like sick humans do... Thanks for the review! I hope you liked this as well!  
Salara - *erschaudert* Netz- und Computertechnische Probleme? NEIN!!! Um eine wunderbare fanfic zu zitieren "That's the herald of DOOM!!!" (namens "The Swear Box", ich weiss leider nicht von wem, ist aber tierisch komisch!!!) Jajaja, Entschuldigung akzeptiert, das hatten wir doch alle schon mal... *mitleidiges Kopfschuetteln* Danke! *grinst froehlich* Ein Lob von einem von euch beiden ist doch was! Tjajaja, die beiden sich auch immer weiter, und zwar in Richtungen, an die ich am Anfang gar nicht gedacht hatte ... sehr merkwürdig... *g*  
Ciria - *g* Very happy! Every review makes me VERY happy indeed... *shakes head* Don't be so curious! Everything shall be revealed in due time... Oh, and O'm sure that IF elves could get grey hair, Elrond would have got the first ones ages (literally!) ago... *g* Thanks for reviewing! *munching cake* Thanks!  
Jenny - *freezes in fear* NEVER say that! NEVER EVER say that! If you say "Can things get any worse" life will find a way to prove that yes, indeed, they can, thank you very much. *g* Thanks for the review, and I'm sorry about the cliffy!  
TrustingFriendship - *frowns* Hey, I like your idea! That would have been a smart thing to do - but hey, we are talking about Legolas, right? And a sick Legolas, that is... *evil grin* It's too late now anyway. *shrugs* Thanks for the review!!  
ManuKu - Tja ja, der Alltag - das ist wirklich etwas, auf das ich gut verzichten koennte ... *g* Wow! *grosse Augen krieg* Ich werde in eurer Fanfic-schreib-Hotline erwaehnt? Was fuer eine Ehre!!! *stolz in die Runde guck* WOW!!! *fieses Grinsen* Na ja, wenn du bei einem kleinen Messer schon Schauder bekommst, dann will ich gar nicht wissen, wie du auf den Rest reagierst... *kichert* Nein, ich glaube nicht, dass sich Seobryn oder Nólad auf diese Art von unserem Lieblingsranger angezogen fuehlen... *zuckt Schultern* Tja, ich fuerchte Legolas ist jetzt hier - nach mir, versteht sich - die meistgehassteste Person ... Na ja, damit muss man leben! *g*  
  
**And, again, a huge thanks to all reviewers! You guys are great!!! You manage to brighten my day, even if it's snowing like so often these days ... *grumbles* Snow! I'm always on the look-out for mountain goblins, you never know... *g***  
  
  
  



	11. Ghosts From the Past

**Disclaimer: **For full disclaimer, please see chapter 1.  
  
  
**A/N:  
  
Well, here we go again, FF.net is screwing with my story or, in this case, my reviews. Which is even WORSE!! I have no idea why it replaced all the names with "xing@fanfiction.net". *****shrugs* **  
** I don't know what happened. I guess there's no living person who can claim that he or she understands how FF.net works. I know I don't.  
  
Oh, about the brooch: It's not supposed to be the one the members of the Fellowship receive in Lothlórien, I'm sorry if it looked like it. Well, it's not it, besides, if my memory serves me right, I think the Lórien** **ones** **are green, aren't they? Next chapter there's more about where Aragorn got it from, so bear with me, okay?  
And I'm very happy you agreed with me on the finger thing - even though my sister is calling me a sissy now... *g*  
  
  
Okay, folks, here is chapter 11, a bit later than planned, but that was not MY fault this time! *gives FF.net evil glare of death*   
One thing first: I apologize for the kidnapping note, I am SO not good at writing such things. Am I a kidnapper or an evil crazy elven maniac? Do I know what he would write? NO! So, please, don't be too hard on me about that, okay?  
  
Still, here comes chapter 11, in which, believe it or not, you are finally going to find out why Cornallar is so bloody angry at Elrond, Legolas and Elladan have a little discussion about - what else? - guilt, and Aragorn... *sighs sadly* Reckless human, that one... *g*  
  
Enjoy and review please!! (*ignores annoyed glares readers give her*)  
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Chapter 11  
  
  
Later Legolas couldn't tell how he had got from the hall into Elrond's study. The last two hour seemed to blur together, the shock about the message and Elrond's strange behaviour still tangible in the air. After some time Elladan had finally taken command and send Elvynd back to his duties, with the orders to find the one who had delivered the letter and bring him back to Rivendell alive, though he didn't care in what condition.  
  
Elrohir had organized some tea for his father and Legolas, who was still somewhat in shock, partly due to his weakened condition, or that was what the twins had announced after taking one look at their friend's pale face. Pushing him and their father gently fowards, all of them had retired to the study.  
  
Legolas tried to get his feelings under control, telling himself time and again that he wouldn't help Aragorn if he lost it here and now. He took another sip of the tea that Elladan had forced into his and Lord Elrond's hands, ordering them to empty their mugs under pain of death and grabbing a mug himself, taking hasty gulps of the hot liquid. The prince's silver-blue eyes surveyed the room, fixing on the small velvet settee the twins were sitting on next to each other, drinking their tea, while their father had taken a seat in one of the armchairs, staring blankly at the floor and with one hand clutching the letter which Elvynd had recovered before it could be blown into the gardens.  
  
Just when Legolas had decided to break the uncomfortable silence, Elladan set down his mug and fixed his eyes on his father, who looked tired and almost … old, if that was even possible for an elf.  
  
"Father, I am really sorry, but you will have to tell us. We need to know what's in the letter if we want to help Estel. _Ada_?"  
  
Without looking at them, Elrond raised his hand and handed him the letter, eyes tightly closed as if to ward off some unwanted memories. Elladan took the offered parchment and smoothed it slightly, waiting for Legolas to make his way to their side before unfolding it.   
  
The letter was written on ordinary parchment which one could find in every elven household, the Tengwar letters shining black and clear on the yellowish paper.  
Legolas took a deep breath and began to read, his hand tightening on the silver brooch he had picked up in the hall.  
  
  
_Greetings, My Lord!  
  
By now you probably have noticed that one of your children is missing, even though it is only the edan. I will never understand why you haven taken such a useless creature into your house, but that has always been your way, hasn't it, Peredhil?  
  
Once again it all comes down to the fact that you put the safety of your own people behind the safety of men, as you have done in the past.  
I have not forgotten what you have done all those years ago, whom you and the mighty High King have taken from me, and now I demand satisfaction.  
If you do not want your little edan to join his forefathers sooner than he would have done anyway, I advise you to do exactly as I ask.  
  
Be at the third fork in the road into the direction of the Misty Mountains **alone** two hours past midnight the day you receive this message, or I will be forced to send you something else next time, something the boy would miss more sorely than a brooch. Perhaps a finger?  
  
You know me well enough to know that I do not make idle threats.  
Be there in time, for his sake.  
  
  
Cornallar_  
  
  
By the time Legolas had finished reading, his fingers had dug into the silver brooch so deeply that the sharper edges had cut into his skin. He consciously pried his fingers apart, his mind spinning sickeningly. Who was this Cornallar? An elf, that much was sure, it could be concluded from the way he talked about Aragorn.  
  
'Well, he and Glónduil would get alone just fine,' he thought bitterly when he remembered his former friend's words that sounded just like the ones he had just read.  
  
His mind quickly running through lists of people he had met or heard of during his lifetime, he finally shook his head; he was sure he had never heard that name before. Judging by the frown on the twins' faces, they attempted to do the same at the moment. While Elladan's face remained blank, Elrohir's brow knitted in thought.  
  
"Cornallar … Cornallar …" he mumbled, his face finally breaking into a smile.  
"Cornallar! Now I remember, wasn't he one of the few lords that escaped the destruction of Eregion in the Second Age? Father?"  
  
At the sound of his son's voice Elrond looked up, his mind returning from wherever he had spent the last hours.   
"Aye, my son. He left Imladris after the Siege of Barad-dûr."  
  
"Why would an elven lord capture Estel?" Legolas asked softly.  
  
"He wants revenge," Elrond answered in a whisper, closing his eyes again.  
  
Elrohir shook his head and sighed. Sometimes it seemed to him that his father spent far too much time with Mithrandir. He even began to sound exactly like the old wizard, even though there was the question if Elrond had taught Gandalf the highly annoying skill of answering as vaguely as possible or if it had happened the other way round.  
  
"Yes, that much we gathered from the letter. Whom does he want to avenge?"  
  
Elrond sighed deeply.  
"That is a long story, Elrohir, and a very dark one. However, you need to hear it."  
  
He took a deep breath and asked,  
"What do you know of Eregion?"  
  
Elladan frowned, but answered, remembering the many history lessons on that topic.  
"Eregion was an elven realm founded at the beginning of the Second Age, located to the west of Moria and home to Lord Celebrimbor, the creator of the rings of power. It was destroyed by Sauron after nearly a thousand years when his orcs overran Eriador. Men now call it Hollin."  
  
Elrond smiled at his son, even though the pain and fear in his eyes did not diminish.  
"Well done, Elladan, concise and to the point. Glorfindel would be very pleased."  
  
The Lord of Rivendell rose and walked over to the open window, studying his gardens. Squaring his shoulders and playing with a ring on his finger, he continued Elladan's tale.  
  
"Yes, it was there the rings were created, to the ruin of many. Sauron came to Eregion in the guise of Annatar, the Lord of Gifts, and taught the elves there many things about metalwork, so that finally Celebrimbor was able to forge the rings of power. He wouldn't listen to Gil-galad or I when we told him Annatar was using him, he insisted that he was to be trusted. Skilled and powerful as Celebrimbor was, that proved to be his undoing, and all of Eregion and Middle-Earth suffered because of it. When the Dark Lord's deception became apparent, it was already too late, and Sauron destroyed the lands with the foul hordes he had spent 600 years to gather, only to launch an assault on the whole of Eriador two years later.  
Many of those who escaped the slaughter in Eregion came with me and helped found this House, and still many of those who have not yet departed over the Sea dwell here peacefully, as you well know."  
  
Elrond interrupted himself for a moment and closed his eyes, as if to conjure up the images of days long past .  
  
"Cornallar was one of the few lords that survived, and he and his son stayed here in Imladris for more than 1500 years. But then, after the destruction of Númenor, Sauron returned, and it all began anew, a new war, new suffering, new deaths. During those years Cornallar had become an advisor of mine, and while we were never friends, I respected him and honoured his opinions. That was, until the year 3430 of the Second Age."  
  
"The year in which the Last Alliance of Elves and Men was formed," Legolas said quietly, shifting in his seat uncomfortably. He knew very well how his grandfather and father had thought about this.  
  
Elrond turned and smiled at the younger elf, an understanding look in his eyes.  
"Yes, young prince, almost three thousand years ago it was formed, and never again shall Arda see something of its kind, I fear. As you well know, there were some who opposed this alliance, most strongly among our woodland kin, but in Lindon, Gil-galad's kingdom, as well as here in Rivendell. Cornallar was one of those and he, unlike many elves of Eregion who had even established a close relationship with the dwarves of Khazad-dûm, looked down on the younger races in distrust and contempt. He stood quite alone though, and so the Alliance was formed, and the war began."  
  
"So he blames you for the war? Is that why he's doing this?" Elrohir asked, confused.  
  
"Yes and no, Elrohir. Yes, he blamed me and my king for the war which he accused us of having brought upon those who only wanted to live in peace. And no, the reason why he is doing this is his son.  
His son had grown up here in Rivendell, among those who thought differently than his father, and he joined the host firmly convinced that it was the only way to stop Sauron's forces from enslaving all of Middle-Earth, after the Dark Lord had already attacked Gondor and taken Minas Ithil. I can still remember him, green-eyed and with his father's dark hair, laughing about something one of his friends had told him…"  
  
The older elf fell silent and added softly after a little while,  
  
"He fell ten years later, one year before the Fall of the Dark Tower."   
  
Elrond took a deep breath before he continued.  
  
"Cornallar went almost insane with grief when he received the news of his son's death and, after all the others had returned, he and some of his friends and supporters decided to leave Imladris and go into the wilds into exile. The last time I saw him was on the anniversary of his son's death, shortly before he left. He told me that he would come back and take revenge, but I never believed he would go this far. After a few centuries I forgot about him and the others, and the whole episode was no more than the shadow of one dark thing more I carry in my soul.  
But now he's back," Elrond closed the tale in a whisper and leaned back in his chair.  
  
A heavy silence weighed on the room as the occupants thought about what they had just heard. Legolas stared at Estel's brooch in his hand, turning it over and running a slim finger over the letters. He could understand Cornallar all too well, after his mother's death he had felt very similar to what Elrond had described… And the twins were not so different themselves, always hunting those who had tortured their mother so many years ago…  
  
'No,' Legolas corrected himself firmly, 'They are nothing like him. He uses an innocent child,' he stopped in thought as if Aragorn could hear him and slap him for using this highly offensive term, 'to get at the one he wrongly accuses of being at fault for something nobody could have prevented. He is a coward, and a fool.'  
  
The prince's thoughts were interrupted when Elladan raised his head and turned to his father.  
  
"But why now? I don't understand, _ada_, if he has been waiting to get back at you for nearly three thousand years, why did he choose to strike now? Why not a few hundred years earlier? He could easily have taken one of us instead," the older twin asked.  
  
Elrond shook his head perplexed.  
"I have been asking myself the same thing, my son. I see why capturing Estel would give him a special satisfaction, for he is human, but why now… I don't know. I will have to ask him."  
  
The twins and Legolas stared at the Lord of Imladris wide-eyed, as if he had just sprouted a second head and announced he had decided to journey to Barad-dûr and have a tea-party with Sauron and all nine Ringwraiths.  
  
Elladan was the first one to find his voice.  
  
"Father, you cannot be serious! This is a trap, and it couldn't be plainer if he had sent you a map with a big red 'X' and an arrow pointing at it, saying 'Trap!!'! _Please_ tell me you are not serious!!"  
  
Elrond just looked at him, determination slowly replacing the helplessness in his grey eyes.  
  
"_Ada_, no!" Elrohir backed up his brother, "He will…"  
  
"What would you have me do?" their father asked seriously. "I know Cornallar, and you do not. He will do what he threatened to if we do not comply. Would you like your brother to lose a finger? Or two? I _know_ him, and he will do that and things much worse without the slightest qualm if he thinks it will get him what he wants."  
  
"But what kind of elf would do such a thing to another living being, to a human?" Legolas asked, having problems to grasp the concept of a homicidal elven maniac on the loose.   
  
Elrond ran a hand over his face, rubbing his tired eyes.  
"Cornallar has always been rather … extreme, for one of the firstborn," he explained.   
"After the destruction of his home his heart grew cold and unforgiving. He hunted and killed every orc he could get his hands on, but he did not only slay them, he … took his time to let them die," he said in a toneless voice that made very clear he didn't intend to go into detail. "I heard about it only in whispers and rumours, because he always went to hunt with those who were loyal to him, but in the War of the Last Alliance he didn't even try to hide it, and we had other more pressing problems to deal with at that time. But in the later days, just before his son's death, he extended this … habit to other races, primarily men who had taken the Dark Lord's side. Before the king and I could call him to account for this, his son was slain and he journeyed back to Rivendell anyway."  
  
Elrond lifted his head and looked straight at the three younger elves on the settee.   
"He has done such things in the past, and he will do them again. The fact that I have taken Estel into this house will only increase his pleasure."  
  
He fell silent, his face expressionless, but any who knew him could see the fear in his eyes.  
  
Legolas stared unblinkingly at the stone floor, feeling as if his heart had plummeted straight into his stomach. Elrond's words seemed to echo in his head, causing his whole body to freeze in fear for his human friend. He closed his eyes in an attempt to fend off the panic that was beginning to surround him on all sides.  
  
'And this elf has taken Aragorn. O Strider, how do you do it? There is only one mad elf within a radius of more than a hundred leagues, and this foolish human really manages to stumble right over him!'  
  
Elrohir met his father's gaze, eyes brightly shining with silver tears.  
"Is there no other way?"  
  
His father did not reply, and that alone was enough of an answer in itself.   
  
  
  
  
'Well, this is not a good day,' Aragorn mused as he shook his head, trying to flick a strand of dark hair out of his eyes. It was a rather futile move though, for it neither removed the hair nor did anything to ease his still hammering headache. Sighing inwardly, he wondered why he had expected it to be a good day in the first place. After all, the past three days had been as bad as it got. The young ranger winced and corrected himself hastily, if the last days had taught him anything, it was that things could _always_ get worse. Even now.  
  
He growled inaudibly and fixed his eyes on Donyc, who sat next to the fire the humans had kindled some time ago to cook their lunch, more precisely a deer that roasted on a spit over the fire. A meal that was meant for them alone, since Donyc and Cornallar had agreed that more than two meagre rations of old bread a day would only give the ranger dangerous ideas.   
  
His ire rising again, he turned his mind to his second favourite occupation these days: Picture what he would do to the dark haired human commander once he managed to free himself.  
'Damn that stupid son of an orc!' he thought irritated, 'If he hadn't insisted on tying me up in the morning himself, I would be working on a way to get the bonds off right now!'  
  
But since Donyc had beaten the young human's head against the tree trunk Aragorn had been leaning against, just for spite, since he had tried very hard to avoid eye contact and done nothing to provoke such an attack, he had been too stunned to spread his fingers and try to keep as much distance between his wrists as possible, as the twins had taught him.  
  
'And now the bonds are even tighter, if such a thing is even possible!' the young ranger fumed, clenching his left hand that still had some feeling left.  
  
Closing his eyes and telling himself firmly that it wouldn't help him if he concentrated on things he couldn't change, he focused his thoughts on the person of his elven captor. He had come very close to remembering where he had heard the name before, but every time he tried to hold on to the memory, it slipped through his grasp with the agility of one of the silver fish that populated the pools of Imladris. He relaxed as best as he could and tried to transport himself back to the part of the library in which Glorfindel used to teach him about the history of the world…   
He smiled softly when he could almost hear the golden haired elf lord tell him to stop staring into nothing and start telling him what had happened to the succession to the throne of Númenor after King Tar-Aldarion had died or something like that. He lost himself in the memories of happier, carefree days before a sharp, mocking, elvish voice brought him out of his thoughts.  
  
"Sleeping yet again, _dúnadan_? I will never understand what humans do to justify their need of sleep."  
  
His eyes flew open and he looked into the face of Cornallar … and suddenly he remembered where he knew that name from.  
  
"_Heru Cornallar o Eregion_," he said quietly, studying the dark haired elf's face.  
  
Aragorn found it rather satisfactory to watch the quickly disguised surprise flicker across the elf's face, even if he knew better than to let that feeling show.  
Cornallar quickly schooled his expression and looked down at the ranger with renewed interest.  
  
"Very good, _edan_, I hadn't expected you to figure it out that quickly," he answered in Elvish. "Where do you know me from?"  
  
"During one of the history lessons your name came up. Nothing more," he told the elf in front of him in the same language.   
So this was Cornallar, he mused, studying him closely, the leader of the group of elves who had opposed the Last Alliance and thus very nearly condemned all of Middle-Earth to darkness. 'As have your forefathers,' a tiny voice inside his head stated, causing the young man to wince inwardly. How could he ever redeem himself from what Isildur had done, or rather not done?  
  
"A history lesson, I see," Cornallar said and crouched down in front of the ranger, his dark eyes locking onto silver ones, "And what exactly do they say about me?"  
  
"That you have been missing for so long that all deem you dead," Aragorn answered bluntly, "And that you were the leader of the elves in Rivendell who worked against the alliance with Númenor and the other forces of the free people of Arda."  
  
"We should never have allied ourselves with weak races like them!" the elf hissed full of contempt. "And without the considerable powers of persuasion employed by your _ada_," Cornallar spoke the word mockingly and full of anger, "And his beloved High King, we never would have, either!"  
  
"Without the alliance founded by Elendil, Elrond and Gil-galad you would be dead together with all the other elves who didn't sail to Valinor and all of Arda would be under the dominion of Mordor!" Aragorn shot back, not really caring about the consequences, which found him soon enough as he felt a hand grab him by the throat and slam him backwards against the tree trunk he'd been tied to.   
Struggling to regain his breath, he wondered for a moment if they bound him to trees just to make it easier for them to bang him against something solid if they felt like it, but was interrupted in mid-thought when he saw the silver gleaming metal of a knife appear in front of his eyes, held by a slim white hand that shook with anger.  
'Not a good combination,' the part of him that Aragorn blamed for this situation in the first place noted.  
  
"Careful, _dúnadan_, careful," Cornallar ground out between clenched teeth and trailed the knife down the young human's cheek, pressing the tip down slightly and leaving a long, bloody gash on Aragorn's face, who clenched his jaw against the pain and glared at his captor. "Do not lecture me on things that have happened before most of your worthless ancestors were even born! I do not need children to tell me about what would have been if things had been different! And the way I see it, your _ada_ is to blame for this version of events, human, and he will pay for what he has taken from me – as will you if you do not learn to hold your tongue!"   
  
The elf's hand closed a bit tighter around the human's throat, constricting his airway and causing him to gasp for air, which wasn't an easy task with bruised and cracked ribs to begin with.   
Cornallar looked at the struggling _edan _and gave him an amused smile.  
  
"I would advise you to behave yourself from now on, ranger, unless you want me to continue with this pleasant little talk. Remember, if my patience is tested, I might forget my good intentions as well as the fact that it will be much more fun with you alive."  
  
He let go of the human and rose, returning the dagger to a sheath on his belt and turning back to the men who had watched the scene with amusement.  
  
Aragorn sagged against the tree and took deep breaths, trying to ignore the blood that flowed freely down the side of his face. When his head had cleared and the grey spots before his eyes had disappeared, he straightened up again, not willing to let them see how bad he really felt.  
  
'Oh, great idea, really, as if they don't know,' he told himself dryly.   
  
Letting his eyes wander over the humans in front of him, he decided that he'd had enough. He wouldn't wait any longer; tonight he would make his escape, somehow.  
He would be damned if he let Cornallar get near his father, not while he was still alive and had some strength left to prevent it.  
  
  
  
  
Elladan sighed loudly and glared at his friend who sat on a chair in front of him.  
"O the Valar, Legolas, talk to me!" he exclaimed, fixing worried eyes on the fair haired elf who hadn't moved an inch in the past thirty minutes.  
  
'And can you blame him?' a tiny voice inside his head asked, evoking another sigh from the older twin.  
Elladan shook his head and let the last hours pass in front of his eyes once more.   
All had begun when Elvynd had entered the study, looking guilty and disappointed.  
  
_  
"I am sorry, my lords, Prince Legolas, but we couldn't find the one who has delivered the letter. We tracked him to the road leading westwards to Bree, but lost his trail there. A large group of hunters, at least thirty or forty, has passed through recently, maybe early this morning, and the tracks of one more human do not stand out. My men are still looking, but I doubt we will find anything," the young elf reported, casting down his eyes.  
  
"Thank you, Elvynd. I am sure you do what you can," Elrond nodded, dismissing the captain.  
  
Legolas barely listened, his thoughts revolving around Elvynd's words. When the doors had closed behind the dark haired elf, he asked,  
"Did he say human?"  
  
Elrohir looked up at him, surprised, before he remembered they had been interrupted before they could fill in Legolas on the details.  
  
"Yes, Cornallar has been using humans. We are sure he has a few elves with him as well, but he probably hired the lot of them for the dirty work. Estel disappeared near the little ravine, you know, the one to the north. We found his tracks; he fought about fifteen humans there, and killed at least one. We found a grave there, but it … was not him," the younger twin explained softly.  
"We followed them to the wilds, but lost their trail there, the rain had already washed away all tracks before we even arrived there. We don't know where Cornallar has taken him."  
  
Legolas froze. Had Elrohir just said humans? About fifteen? Suddenly an image appeared in front of him, an image of a nervous dark haired human hunter, camping by the road, surrounded by equally nervous companions. He hadn't counted them, he doubted that he would have been able to anyway, but fifteen sounded about right. A hunter…  
His eyes widened when he realized with calm clarity what had felt wrong about the so called 'huntsmen': Most of them had been armed with swords and clubs, only a few had had bows and quivers strapped to their backs. Not exactly the kind of weapon one would chose for a hunt, unless one waited next to a rabbit hole and hit the first animal unfortunate enough to leave its home over the head with the clubs.  
A sickening feeling spreading in his stomach, he remembered that the 'hunters' didn't have any animals already killed in their camp, nor the means to transport any quarry they might come across home.   
  
Legolas closed his eyes and pressed his palms against the closed lids. How could he have been so stupid? How could he not have seen what was going on? His friend had needed him, and he'd left him behind…  
  
"Legolas?" Lord Elrond's soft, worried voice interrupted the elven prince's thoughts.  
  
With difficulty the younger elf raised his head, his pale face shining almost translucent in the sunlight.  
"No," he said tonelessly, "But I do."_  
  
  
Elladan sighed inwardly. After Legolas had told them what he still remembered about the men, he had fallen silent and not moved since. His father had exploited the fact that the twins' attention was fixed on their friend to slip out of the room, no doubt to prepare for his suicidal journey. Exchanging a look with his twin, they had soundlessly come to an agreement and Elrohir had risen and followed their father. He had always been the more diplomatic one, and he would need all his skill to keep Elrond from going on this insane trip.  
'Alas!' he thought, looking at the prince, 'I should have gone! Legolas can be at least twice as bad!'  
  
Trying to come up with a suitable threat, the older twin finally announced,  
"Legolas, if you do not answer me now, I will take that beloved bow of yours and throw it into the fire without batting an eyelid!"  
  
If that didn't work, Elladan though, he'd have to pass. Normally, any word spoken against Legolas' beautifully carved bow was followed swiftly by bloody retribution.  
  
"Go away, Elladan," Legolas mumbled, not raising his eyes.  
  
Elladan smiled grimly. That was a start.  
"Please, _mellonamin_, we've been through this. Nobody blames you; they knew what they were doing. There was no reason why you should have got suspicious, besides, you were delirious. I can still remember what you looked like when you arrived here!"  
  
At this the other elf finally lifted his head and looked at Elladan, silver-blue eyes shining brightly with tears.  
"I left him there, Elladan! I left Aragorn in the clutches of this crazy elf and his cronies! For all we know, Cornallar could be cutting off a few of his fingers right now! I had the opportunity to help him, and I did nothing! And do you know what's the best part of all this? I _was_ suspicious! They looked too normal and acted too friendly, and Donyc or whatever his name may be had an air about him that spoke clearly of nervousness and cruelty.   
Do you know what I thought? 'That can hardly be my concern'! Elbereth, how can I not blame me? How can Estel not blame me?"  
  
The dark haired elf rolled his eyes and took his friend by the shoulders, shaking him slightly.  
  
"Listen to me now, you stubborn wood-elf! Estel would never blame you! You know him, by now he's probably found a way to place all the blame on his shoulders! You didn't know what was going on, all you knew was that he was in danger, and that's a bit vague, knowing Estel. You don't even know what would've happened if you had discovered it! Not even you could have fought off fifteen humans in the condition you were in yesterday, they would have killed you or taken you with them, and we would have to worry about both of you now! Estel will not blame you, and neither do we. All we can do is try and find a way to get him out of there, and for that we need your help, Legolas, _ Aragorn_ needs your help!"  
  
Elladan watched in relief as some of the guilt in the other elf's eyes disappeared and was replaced by a steely determination and a fury so fierce that he unconsciously pitied the ones who had taken his brother. He wouldn't want to see that anger directed at him, of that he was sure.  
  
Legolas nodded reluctantly.  
"Aye, you are right, my friend. I won't help him that way. Forgive me."  
  
The older twin smiled at the fair haired prince, removing his hands from his shoulders.  
"There is no need to apologize, Legolas. I've been through this with father and Elrohir before you arrived, and with Isál as well, and the way things are going, I will have to talk about it with Elvynd and his men, too. It's like a plague, I think, and all of Rivendell has been affected," he said, trying to lighten the mood. "But let's go and see how Elrohir is faring with father. He can be just as stubborn as Estel - or you."  
  
Legolas grinned slightly and rose to his feet.  
"Or you, _mellonamin_. What was that you said about my bow, by the way?"  
  
Elladan laughed and held up his hands as they moved towards the doors.  
"Nothing, my friend, that must have been your imagination. Are you feeling well? Perhaps I should take you to the hospital wing and get one of the healers to mix you a potion that…"  
  
His companion growled threateningly.  
"Don't you dare. You would not live long enough to regret it."  
  
Elrond's oldest son grinned at him and left the room, a smiling Legolas on his heels, whose face turned serious again when he thought of his human friend.  
  
'But I will make sure _they_ live long enough to regret their actions,' he decided, crossing the threshold and following his friend. 'The next time we meet, Donyc will not be so pleased to see me, that I swear by Elbereth herself.'  
  
  
  
  
Hiding a smile and opening his eyes just the tiniest bit, Aragorn surveyed the scene in front of him as he finally managed to free his hands of the bonds that held them behind his back. He winced as he rubbed his chafed wrists, trying to stimulate the blood flow to get some feeling to return into his hands. Right now he probably wouldn't even be able to hold a sword if necessary. And knowing his luck, it would be necessary.  
After a few minutes he had regained some control over his hands, and he decided that now was as good a time as any to finally leave this camp behind whose hospitality he had found somewhat lacking during the past days.   
  
He didn't take his eyes off his guard when he rose to his feet, moving as soundlessly as possible. Stepping closer, he took the man's club and, with some satisfaction, let it crack down on the dozing human's head. When wood connected with bone, a small but audible cracking noise could be heard, quickly followed by a groan and the sound of a body dropping to the ground. Grinning wickedly, Aragorn bent down and retrieved the man's sword and dagger, wondering for a moment if it was normal to feel such satisfaction for banging one of his own kind over the head.  
Yes, that it was, he decided after a few seconds, and had to stop himself from running into camp and knocking out every single man there, including Donyc. _Especially_ Donyc.  
  
Blending into the shadows of the surrounding trees, he made his way over to where the horses were standing, each of them wearing a halter to which a long lead was attached, the other end of it tied around nearby tree trunks to give them space enough to graze. When he had reached the animals, he stepped close to the one he had chosen on his way here, patting its chestnut neck and whispering softly to it in Elvish. Even though this was not an elven horse, it would probably calm the beast. His thoughts strayed to Seobryn for a moment as he cut the rope attached to the horse's halter, he hoped the boy wouldn't get into trouble once they noticed he was missing. It had been him who had bound his hands behind him and tied him to the tree after his meal of dry bread, and he had done so trying to cause the ranger as little discomfort as possible. Hopefully they would place the blame on the guard, he thought as he led the horse away, deeper into the trees that grew to the one side of the camp. Since they were quite high up the mountains already, the terrain was barren and jagged, with only bits of grass and shrubbery dotted here and there; the little wood was more the exception to that rule.  
  
Sneaking into the trees and nearly jumping at every little noise, he once again thanked the Valar that the men had only posted one man to keep watch, namely the one assigned to guard him. The horse snorted softly, causing Aragorn to freeze and listen for any signs that he had been detected. After a few seconds, he forced himself to relax, resuming his walk. He hadn't wanted to take a horse with him, but with the elves around he didn't have any other choice.  
He would have preferred to escape on foot and lose them in the stony terrain all around them, but he was sure he didn't have enough time to cover up his tracks well enough to fool an elven eye. His only chance was to get as far away from here as quickly as possible.  
  
Well, he thought, even if he wouldn't be able to avoid them indefinitely, with a bit of luck he could probably buy himself enough time for his brothers and Legolas to arrive. He was sure his friend had got to Rivendell by now and they would have realized over whom Legolas had stumbled on his way there. Once again he sent a short, fervent prayer of thanks to Elbereth for keeping his elven friend save, when a shout rang out in the camp behind him.  
  
Wheeling round, he could still make out the shapes of startled humans who were struggling to get to their feet, and the sharp voice of Donyc who barked orders, trying to get order in the chaos. Not so softly cursing his luck, Aragorn tried to figure out what to do. The men were awake and would follow him once they found his trail, which shouldn't take even them too long. His eyes trying to pierce the darkness around him, he reflected on his choices. If he mounted the horse now, he would leave a trail visible to even the most incompetent beings, but if he didn't, they would find him anyway, only sooner.  
  
Making up his mind, he turned to the horse and was about to mount when an arrow slammed into the horse's flank, causing it to whinny loudly in pain and bolt, tearing the reins out of his hands.  
  
'Well,' he thought sarcastically as he drew his sword with hurting hands and dashed off into the direction the animal had taken, 'Now I won't have to worry about the horse. Ilúvatar, this is not good.'  
  
His thoughts were interrupted as he slid to a stop when a figure dropped down from a tree, landing just in front of him with catlike grace.  
  
'Not good at all,' he mused as Nólad straightened himself, giving him a look that clearly said that the young ranger had just made a mistake.  
The softly blowing wind carried the sound of the men who were crashing through the bush behind him, and the young human let out a furious elvish curse that made the elf who blocked his path in front of him raise an eyebrow in amusement. He took a step backwards and prepared to engage the humans, since it was apparent that the fair haired elf didn't intend to fight him, but was merely making sure he didn't escape.  
  
'I'll have to remember to thank him for that later,' Aragorn thought wryly as he drew the dagger he had taken from the guard with his left. 'If I survive this.'  
  
Seconds later the men came crashing through the undergrowth, led by Donyc, whose face had turned a rather interesting shade of purple and who was looking so angry that the ranger was impressed, and that was not easy to accomplish, since he had grown up in Imladris, home of Lord Elrond Peredhil, who was truly a sight to behold when infuriated.  
The human commander panted heavily and shot the young man deadly looks.  
  
"That was a mistake, ranger. I have not forgotten about the 'conversation' I promised you. I will make you beg me to let you die before the end!"  
  
Aragorn snorted and was just about to answer that they would have to take him alive first, when he felt the unmistakable triangle of an arrowhead bore into his back.  
  
"Now, Master Human, would you claim that pleasure all for yourself? How very selfish of you," Cornallar said softly, pressing the arrow a bit harder against the ranger's back.  
  
Aragorn hung his head and swallowed nervously, fighting the sheer panic that rolled over him in waves when he heard the deadly serious voice of his elven captor.   
Now he was in trouble.   
  
Deep trouble.  
  
  
  
**  
  
TBC...  
  
  
  
  
** _ada - father (daddy)  
edan - human, man  
__dúnadan_ - _'Man of the West', ranger  
Heru Cornallar o Eregion - Lord Cornallar of Eregion  
mellonamin - my friend  
_  
  
  
  
***hides under her bed* Don't hurt me! But you didn't expect me to let him get away that easily, did you? *evil cackle* On second thought, I don't know what made me do it either... *frowns* My alter ego again, I guess...   
Please don't hate me!! I am afraid to post the next chapter! I really am!! Reviews might help me to overcome that fear, but I don't know...** ** *g***  
  
  
  


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**Additional A/N:  
  
**E - *does a happy dance* I AM happy, see? *shakes head* My life is getting more dangerous by the second! Wargs, dogs, angry elven lords and/or humans - they all try to kill me! And it was not my fault this comes a little bit later than usual, it's FF.net! Really! *gives dog a nervous look* Uhm, good dog? And I have to agree, Legolas won't feel bad a bit about leaving Aragorn behind, it's just not in his nature to fret over him... *giggles* Yeah, sure!!  
ThE iNsAnE oNe - *pats Tio's back gingerly* Now ... it's okay ... calm down ... I know you feel sorry ... don't worry ... and STOP quoting Shakespeare - that's the spirit, dear... *g* And I am very glad you are not dead! I was getting really concerned for a second here! *to Elladan, giving him an evil glare* You are lucky you didn't kill her, buddy! She still has to finish her stories! I would have been _quite_ angry otherwise, and that's never a good thing... *evil smile* Uh, yeah, about Estel - would you believe me if I told you he'd be perfectly alright? No? Damn, you must know me by now... Let's just say, things will get worse before they get better, okay? Thanks so much for the _huge_ review! *huggles her*  
Aurienia - *choking* Please, don't .. hug ... so ... tightly ... *faints* Whatever, thanks for telling me about Aragorn's plans! *pulls out steel helmet* I am prepared! Have I planned this for him or Legolas in the future? *thinks* For Aragorn ... well, not precisely ... and for Legolas ... that's a cautious yes, I guess. I'm not sure yet, but something of that sort, I think... *g* Oh, your brother is definitely evil! Even worse than my sister! After all, she is just running around asking "Have you cut off a finger yet?"!! But I am so thankful that you still reviewed, flu and all! *hugs her* Thanks! *hugs her again* I hope you feel better now, thanks for the long review!  
Kaeera - Tja ja, der "look" ist eigentlich eine Abart des "looks" meiner Mutter. Die kann das auch ganz wunderbar - obwohl ich annehme, dass Elbenlord-Sein da noch hilft... *g* Hm, 'interessant' kann man zu Kapitel 12 auch sagen - ich habe es grossteils mit geschlossenen Augen geschrieben, weil ich selbst nicht mit ansehen konnte, was ich da mache ... auch nicht normal, oder? Und ich muss noch Korrekturlesen! *schauder* Danke fuer's review und Recht hast du: Gutaussehend sind sie allemal!  
Alilacia - Yes, I feel quite sorry for Cornallar myself - well, I did, till I finished ch12. I mean, losing a child has got to be horrible, but as Legolas realized, he is a fool. A sadistic fool, unfortunately, with an equally sadistic human commander who can hardly wait to ... Ahem. I'm not saying anything. *g* Yes, don't worry, our favourite elves ARE going to kick his ass, in the end - if they are still able to, that is... *evil cackle* We'll see. Well, whatever you do, don't kill my characters! I need them!!!  
Ciria - "And this, dear President of the Finnish Republic, is why I adamantly demand that you stop selling pineapples to your citizens. At once. Some of them insist on throwing them at my characters and therefore damage them, AND the storyline. Sincerely, Nili, FF author" LOL, really, I'll send it if you don't stop!! Well, about Nólad - you'll have to keep guessing, I'm afraid. I haven't made up my mind completely, either! *takes muffins cautiously* Well, thanks you... Better than a pineapple, I guess... And thanks a lot for the book! Not that I really need it *points at chapter above*, but still... *g*  
Imbefaniel - *hangs head* I would have been too easy to let him get captured now - and think of the guilt trip ... And do you really believe they would have spared someone to bring Legolas back? I don't... And Seobryn may be a nice boy, but he is too young to escort Legolas to Rivendell alone. Ack, heck, I don't know. I guess he _could_ have collapsed there... *smiles* But I'm glad you still like it!  
Firnsarnien - Legolas angst? Who, me?? *innocent smile* I would never... Well, perhaps a bit more, just a tiny bit... *g* Thanks for the review!  
Mouse - What do you mean, you won't hurt me 'yet'? You know, suddenly I feel very afraid ... my fingers start to freeze ... I cannot think of anything to write ... I think I will end the story now ... *evil grin* Just kidding, I could never stop it here, there are so many more cliffhangers coming... *g* Hope you liked the chapter!  
Miss Undastood - Oh, you'd miss a TV show for me? That's sweet... *g* Next chapter is here, don't worry! Thanks for all your reviews!  
Stasia - *stares dumbly* I have no idea why FF.net did this, either... But don't worry, I always keep the review alert emails till I've posted the next part just in case something like this *glares at FF.net* happens.Btw, did you really believe I could forget who wrote that wonderful email? Never!! *shakes fist* Yes, you are right, a few of them WILL die VERY painful deaths, they are just plain evil, aren't they? *clears her throat* Well ... about the 'tone down the beatings'-part ... too late already? *jumps behind Stan the balrog* Chapter 12 isn't a beating though ... *under her breath* ... not only ... And yes, I don't think Elrond is happy with them right now, actually, Legolas should thank Cornallar for kidnapping Estel, without that distraction you never know what Elrond might do to you... *g* LOL, Elrond being blatantly evil towards Elvish children who don't _deserve_ it? *giggles* Well, you don't know all about Cornallar's son's death, but no, it wasn't Elrond's fault. And he wasn't being evil. Thanks soooo much for all your kind words and the huge review! *huggles her* Thanks!!  
Lina Skye - *grabs Lina's arm when she is about to slap Elrond again* LINA! Stop it!! The poor man, uhm, elf, uhm, half-elf has just got a terribly upsetting letting concerning the kidnapping of his son! Leave him alone!! *looks around her* Dammit, where is that blasted Rohirrim when you need him? Oh God, no, now she's seen Legolas!! Lina, calm down, it wasn't HIS fault, really, the mean goblins poisoned him and ... LINA!! Put down that sword! I mean it! Now!! ÉOMER!!!!  
Raquel - *beams* Finally! Someone who sees things MY way! I WOULD have been predictable, wouldn't it?? *clears throat* Well, not exactly an exchange, I think, but since I haven't got to that chapter yet, I don't know either, the note is a bit vague on that.*hands Raquel an Elrond plushie* Well done! You are the first one who thought of the Last Alliance! *blushes deeply* Owww, thanks so much for all your compliments! I'm doing my best! And ME enjoying my reader's suffering? NEVER!!! *g* *looks around her suspiciously* Don't give Aragorn any ideas!! Well, he's a bit ... busy himself right now... *g* Thanks for the review!!  
Zam - *stares* Wow, huge review! Thanks!!*huggles Zam, then drags her away from Legolas* First your sister, then you, honestly! If you kill him, who will save Aragorn?? Hmm?? Ever thought of that? *watches as Legolas stabs Zam* Okay, I will just pretend I didn't see that... *groans when Zam sits down on Aragorn* Why me, Elbereth, why me??? LOL, no, it was not Cornallar's fault, but he's still stupid. And sadistic. A stupid sadistic idiot who will sooo be enjoying himself next chapter... *puts hand to mouth* Oooopps, I didn't say that. *grins* Seobryn is cute, isn't he? *pats his head* Somehow, he reminds me of Éomer - only a bit more intelligent... *g*  
Lievre - Reach for the stars, my friend!! *coughs* No, I'm sure everything will get better ... soon. Sometime in the remote future, probably. Death threats? Really? Owww, that's so sweet of you, really, I LOVE death threats! *grins* But don't worry, he will get rescued - in the end. I don't promise when, though... Thanks for the review!!  
Arwen-Evenstar - *beams* Thanks! I'm glad you like it and hope you'll enjoy the rest as well! And it wasn't a terrible place to leave it off - the one in this chapter was much worse, wouldn't you agree? *evil smile*  
TrustingFriendship - Well, if you define 'in one piece' as in 'not missing any body parts', then you will be fine! I think. *grins* No, don't worry, despite my sister's encouragements I will not cut off anything. I'm glad you like the brooch though, I wasn't sure about that. Thanks for rewieving!  
ManuKu - *seufzt* Noch eine ... *nimmt einen Stock zur Hand* Zurueck!! Zurueck!! Pfoten weg von unserem Lieblingselbenprinzen!! Ich brauche ihn doch noch, damit er Aragorn am Ende retten kann!! *zerrt ManuKu zurueck* Und hier bleibst du nun, okay? Nicht mehr auf irgendwelche armen unschuldigen Elben einschlagen! Nun ja, du hast es erfasst, Cornallar und Aragorn oder Aragorn und Donyc oder alle drei haben noch ein paar Dinge zu "bereden", sagen wir mal... *fieses Grinsen* *verbeugt sich* Es ist doch mein hoechster Wunsch, meine Leser zufrieden zu stellen! Dann reviewen sie naemlich mehr! *g*  
  
***latches onto reviewers* Thanks so much! I love you! I love you all! *shuffles off* God, I gotta go to sleep, I start sounding like Michael Jackson now...**  
  
  
  
  



	12. Out Of Options

**Disclaimer: **For full disclaimer, please see chapter 1.  
  
  
**A/N:  
  
*door creaks open and a hand ****appears**** waving a white flag *  
Okay, if I come out, do you promise not to hurt me? What do you mean, you won't hurt me 'yet'? That does not sound good... I think I'll stay here under my bed, it's really cosy, if one likes spiders, that is... *shudders*  
  
Well, first let me say that I really do not know what I was thinking when I wrote this chapter. I'm not C&S, for crying out loud, I must have lost my mind there for a second!   
Second, I apologize for all mistakes that might be in there, because I wrote most of it with my eyes closed, since I couldn't watch poor Estel suffer.   
Oh, and third, about the rating: I think it's still PG-13, but since I have no experience whatsoever with this, I would be thankful if you would tell if if you think it needs a higher rating.   
Don't worry, it's not THAT bad, but you never know, okay?  
  
Since you've sent me so many lovely reviews, I have decided to post this today and relocate to Antarctica shortly afterwards. *shoots Lina, Carrie and all the other obsessive Estel fans nervous looks*  
  
  
Still, here is chapter 12, and I won't say anything about it right now since I need to get to the airport. My plane is leaving in an hour. *g*  
  
Enjoy!! (Readers: AND REVIEW, yes!!)   
*raises eyebrow* Exactly!  
  
**  
  


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Chapter 12  
  
  
Aragorn didn't resist when his weapons were taken from him and his hands roughly jerked behind his back and secured with coarse rope. The way he saw it, there was no reason to anger his captors even more than he had already done, besides, surrounded and with an arrow boring into his back, there was no point in doing so anyway.  
  
'No need to make my situation any worse than it already is,' he mused as he watched Donyc approach him. 'But then again, I don't think I will have a say in that matter,' he added, struggling not to let the fear that was beginning to fill his entire being show on his face.  
  
It didn't really take him by surprise when the dark haired human's hand shot out and struck him across the face, reopening the cut Cornallar had placed there a few hours ago. Before Aragorn could even shake his head to get rid of the ringing in his ears, Donyc grabbed his face, pulling him closer.  
  
"How did you do it, ranger? How did you escape?" he hissed venomously, his eyes boring into his captive's. Aragorn just kept staring back, studying the man's face closely and deciding after a few moments that he couldn't remember having ever seen a human that angry. Donyc's face and neck had turned a scarlet colour by now, and the young ranger could have sworn he could watch tiny veins in the man's eyes burst.   
Enraged by the young human's defiance, Donyc raised his hand to hit him again, but let it drop to his side when he heard the soft voice of his employer.  
  
"Calm down, Donyc, this is neither the place nor the time for this. In my experience, it is much more fun if the specimen is secured tightly and has had some time to think about what it has done. Besides, you need light. How can you work when you cannot see what you're doing?"  
  
The human commander took a deep breath and stepped away from Aragorn, his eyes still fixed on the ranger's, the glare he sent him clearly stating that this was far from over.  
"Yes, Master Elf, you are right. My apologies."  
  
The dark haired elf returned the arrow he had been pressing against the ranger's back to the quiver on his back and stepped around the bound human, motioning Addramyr to take a hold of the ranger's arm, which he did only too willingly, his fingers burrowing into Aragorn's flesh.  
  
"No need for that, Master Human," Cornallar said jovially, still looking at the young ranger, "I know how easy it is to get carried away. Don't worry, your turn will come soon enough."   
  
He turned to the human commander and said, his voice firm,  
"But first we need to find the horse and get him back to camp. You," he pointed at Donyc and another human, "Will help me with the horse and the rest of you will escort our guest back."  
  
When Donyc opened his mouth to protest, the elf added,  
"Please, Master Human, I doubt neither your intentions nor your ability to control your emotions, but I would have a word with you about tomorrow morning. Nólad will make sure he doesn't escape again. Besides, a bit of waiting heightens the pleasure, don't you think?"  
  
The man nodded and gave Aragorn a malicious smile that caused a shiver of fear to race up and down his spine.  
"As you wish."  
  
The two humans and the elf moved off into the direction the horse had disappeared in, while the rest headed back to camp. Nólad stepped closer to Addramyr who pushed his captive in front of him, giving him a hard shove in the back that nearly caused the young ranger to fall.  
  
"Thank you, Master Human. I will take him from here."  
  
Addramyr looked up unwillingly, but relented when the elf's light grey eyes bore into his.  
"Fine. I don't mind."  
  
The fair haired elf grasped the younger human's arm firmly and steered him towards the camp, making sure not to let him stumble.  
"You shouldn't have done that, _dúnadan_," he whispered sadly in Elvish, "I told you I wouldn't be able to protect you. I am sorry."  
  
Aragorn kept his eyes straight ahead, trying desperately to suppress the panic that threatened to overtake him when he remembered the murderous look in Donyc's eyes and the words Cornallar had spoken.   
'"Specimen"?' he thought, swallowing nervously, 'Did he say "specimen"? A Elbereth, what have I got myself into this time?'  
  
He shook his head slightly when the lights of the camp appeared before them, flickering through the dark tree trunks.  
  
"As am I, Nólad. As am I."  
  
  
  
  
Legolas sighed softly and shifted on the railing he was sitting on, holding his breath in anticipation of the stab of pain that would surely lance through his side following that move. When nothing happened, he shifted again for good measure and once again thanked the Valar that Lord Elrond was such an excellent healer. Not even the physicians at his father's palace would have been able to mend the cut that quickly, and while it would take a while to heal completely, it didn't pain him anymore, if he didn't move too quickly, that was.  
  
The fair haired prince had left the Lord of Rivendell and his friends some time ago, when it became apparent that neither side was making any progress.  
The twins, and especially Elrohir, argued most skilfully that it was suicide to comply and go alone, not to mention stupid, while Elrond stubbornly refused to let an escort or even them come with him, claiming that Cornallar could have someone watch the house and kill Estel when he found out that he had been tricked. Not to mention the fact what he would do if he met with them and escaped after having laid eyes on said escort.  
Soon the controversy had run out of suitable arguments, and both sides insisted on their point of view, both the twins and their father claiming that acting any other way than they suggested would very likely endanger Estel's life.  
  
Legolas shook his head; it was truly incredible how stubborn this family was. When he had first met Strider, he had thought this to be a human characteristic, and voiced his opinion openly and, as Aragorn claimed, more often than necessary. Now, however, he suspected that it ran in the family, and the countless generations that lay between Elrond's brother Elros Tar-Minyatur and Aragorn himself had only served to strengthen that trait.  
And to watch three beings who possessed that trait in an equal measure quarrel with each other was about as productive as to try and teach an orc proper behaviour for a formal dinner party.  
  
'In the end,' Legolas decided, 'The twins don't stand a chance. Lord Elrond has had more than six thousand years to perfect his skills in the high art of acting stubbornly. Besides, he will simply order them to stay behind.'  
  
He took the small silver brooch out of his vest pocket and watched the pale light of the moon reflect on the shining metal, glittering like the still surface of a pool under the night sky. His thoughts were so focused on his friend that he didn't hear the dark haired elf who came closer, stepping lightly onto the balcony outside his brother's room.  
  
"Beautiful, isn't it?"  
  
To his credit, Legolas didn't jump when he heard the soft voice, but it was a near thing. Turning slowly, he fixed his eyes on Elladan, who had stepped closer and climbed swiftly on top of the wooden railing to settle down next to his friend.  
  
"How did you know where to find me?" the elven prince asked, somewhat surprised.  
  
Elrond's oldest son smiled at the other elf.  
"That was not so hard to figure out, _mellonamin_. You are quite predictable, you know that? Every time Estel is injured and father has us thrown out to let him get some rest and threatens us with the most improbable things lest we dare to come back, you come here, watch the gardens and worry. Just like he does when it's the other way round."  
  
Legolas returned the smile and asked the older twin another question, trying not to think of all the times they had dragged themselves back to one – or, on some occasions, both – of their fathers. That conjured up images of Aragorn, broken and bleeding just like he had been so many times, and wasn't something he wished to think of right now if he wanted to keep a clear head.  
  
"How did it go? With your father?"  
  
Elladan's smile disappeared as quickly as food in a hungry hobbit's mouth.  
"Not good," he admitted. "He refuses to take anyone with him. We have done everything to convince him, but he just doesn't listen. Sometimes it's scary how much alike he and Estel are from time to time."  
  
He closed his eyes and shook his head in frustration.  
"Elrohir is still reasoning with him, but when _ada_ is in that state of mind, there's no one he will listen to. Except perhaps for Glorfindel, but since he isn't here…"  
  
Legolas nodded and returned his eyes to the object in his hands, trying to figure out what to do. There was no way he would just sit here and let Lord Elrond go after Strider alone. He had failed his friend once already, he wouldn't allow it to happen a second time. Besides, there was still the fact that he had a score to settle with Donyc…  
  
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Elladan repeated himself and drew the fair haired elf out of his thoughts.  
  
"I beg your pardon?" Legolas asked, knowing quite well what the twin was talking about.  
  
"The brooch," the older twin explained patiently, looking at the small silver item that lay in Legolas' slim hand. "It is beautiful."  
  
"That it is," Legolas confirmed, his fingers stroking over the single word engraved on its gleaming surface. 'Elrondion', son of Elrond.  
  
Elladan smiled in reminiscence.  
"Did he tell you where he got it from?"  
  
The prince nodded.  
"He told me your father gave it to all three of you, on Winter Solstice a year ago. He is very fond of it."  
  
"Yes, we all are. _Ada_ gave it to us the first Winter Solstice after Estel's twentieth birthday."  
  
Elladan closed his eyes and smiled softly.  
"You know that Estel was, well, quite confused after father told him of his heritage. Of course you know, that was when you met him, was it not?" he asked, obviously not really expecting the other elf to reply, and so Legolas did not provide an answer.  
  
"Well, after he'd got home from that dreadful mess you managed to get yourselves into that time," he held up a hand to silence Legolas' indignant sounds of protest, "He was still unsure about his identity and full of doubt about his future. So that was why father gave them to each of us, so we would never forget who we are."  
  
Legolas nodded at his friend, trying to keep him talking. It was obvious that Elladan was not really aware that he was still there, but was caught in the memory of happier days.  
  
"He said that it didn't matter if we were elves or men or dwarves, to him we would always be his sons. And even though my dear brother is Aragorn, son of Arathorn, he will always remain Estel Elrondion, at least here, at least to us," the older twin explained softly, a single tear rolling down his pale cheek.  
  
The fair haired elven prince reached out and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.  
"He knows who he is, Elladan. He is your brother, and he knows you love him." He stretched out his hand and offered the dark haired elf the brooch.   
"Here. Take it."  
  
Elladan hesitated for a moment, but then he reached out and closed Legolas' fingers around the small silver leaf, taking a deep breath.  
"No, _mellonamin_, you keep it. I have my own," he said and pulled the collar of his overshirt aside, showing an identical silver brooch. "Keep it, and once we find him and get him out of there, give it back to him."  
  
Legolas gazed into the twin's serious eyes and gave him a small smile.  
  
"I will do that."  
  
Elrond's oldest nodded and turned his eyes back onto the gardens below him, surveying the dark trees and listening to the audible roaring sounds of the falls all around them.  
  
"Grandfather's star shines brightly tonight," he added after a few moments, causing the elven prince to look up at Eärendil, the Evening Star.  
  
"It does, my friend," Legolas answered softly, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.  
  
"Gil-Estel," Elladan whispered the star's older name softly, "A good name for it."  
  
Legolas put his arm around the twin's shoulder as they sat side by side, watching the stars twinkle down on them and praying to every Valar who might be willing to lend their aid for the safety of their friend and brother.  
  
  
  
  
'No, "crazy" is not really an appropriate term. I think it's too abstract. What about … "mad", or "demented" or, even better, "maniac"…' Aragorn mused as he tried very hard not to think of the fact that Cornallar and the men would return any minute now. 'Oh, and add "sadistic" to that as well,' he made a mental note to himself, remembering the elf's words of "giving the 'specimen' time to think about what 'it' had done".   
Well, if the reason behind that tactic was to increase the prisoner's fear beyond all measure, it was working just fine on him, he decided, looking around him.  
  
This time they hadn't taken him to the edge of the camp but placed him by the fire in the middle of the small clearing, which was nice for a change since he couldn't remember when he had been properly warm for the last time, but had its downside as well, because now he was surrounded by about ten rather angry-looking humans, including his former guard who had made contact, for him so unpleasantly, with his own wooden club and sported an impressive egg-sized lump just behind his right ear. The man had looked at him with a vengeful twinkle in his eyes, clearly displeased about the way their last encounter had gone and seemingly more than willing to make up for that fact at the first opportunity.  
  
'Great,' he thought wryly, 'Another one who has a personal vendetta against me. Just what I needed.'  
  
The subject of personal vendettas bringing him back to the persons of his elven captors, he closed his eyes and tried to remember something else than the main facts he already knew about Cornallar, a sudden shudder of fear racing across his spine. Glorfindel had been talking about the differences between the races on Arda, most expressly the differences between the Older and the Younger Children of Ilúvatar…   
  
  
_"Elves don't kill each other," a rather earnest 12-year-old Estel said, looking at the golden haired elf with big eyes.  
  
"That is correct, young one," Glorfindel smiled. "Not since the days of the Kinslaying has such a thing happened. Unfortunately, the Second People do it all the time, and not only them."  
  
Estel nodded seriously.   
"I know. I … read it somewhere," he explained hastily when he saw the elven lord's expression; Glorfindel would probably not be too impressed when he knew he bribed the twins to tell him of battles they had fought long before he had been born.  
  
"I see," Glorfindel replied, narrowing his eyes and looking at the boy suspiciously.  
  
"But elves kill other things," Estel continued, intent on leading the conversation away from the former topic, "Foul things, like orcs, and spiders, and trolls, and goblins."  
  
The golden haired elf nodded, his bright eyes adopting a far-away look.  
"Yes, Estel, they do. And sometimes, even other things."  
  
"What do you mean?" Estel asked curiously, cocking his dark head to one side.  
  
Glorfindel looked at the young human and decided that he was old enough to hear some of the more distasteful things about the people who had taken him in more than ten years ago.  
  
"There were times, young one, when elves killed other races as well, men, for example."  
  
When he saw the confusion on the boy's face, he elaborated.  
"During the War of the Last Alliance – that's a good topic to continue, remind me to talk about it later – there were those who enjoyed killing their enemies, __orcs __and __men who had chosen the other side alike."  
  
Estel's eyes grew wide.  
"Really? Who?"  
  
"Nobody who remains here, Estel, don't worry. Most of them hailed from Eregion, and they sought vengeance for the destruction of their home. You will not meet any of them; they are long since dead or have departed over the Sea."  
  
Glorfindel looked at his charge in amusement, noting the way the boy nodded earnestly, committing what he'd just heard to memory. It didn't matter if they were young humans or elflings, he decided with a mental chuckle, they were always interested in the bloodier details of history.  
  
"Now then, young man, what can you tell me about Elendil the Tall of Númenor…"_  
  
  
He opened his eyes slowly as he heard the footsteps of two men draw nearer, who were apparently leading a horse with them. Wondering for a moment if there was a way to stuff his new-found knowledge back into the corner of his mind where he'd found it, his eyes searched the woods and came to rest on three figures who headed their way, leading a bleeding and rather exhausted horse between them.  
His eyes fixing on the tall figure of Cornallar, he wondered if Glorfindel had been talking about him. He had been a bit too young to understand completely what the golden haired elf had been talking about all these years ago, but now he knew enough of the world to know that even among elves there were those who enjoyed watching their enemies suffer.  
  
'Yes,' the young ranger decided, fighting to keep the panic at bay that rose inside him when he watched the three of them approach him, 'He is definitely one of them. Ilúvatar, now it's official: This cannot get any worse. It's just not possible.'  
  
The dark haired elf stopped in front of him, looking him over.  
"Well, _dúnadan_," he said and gave Aragorn a grin, "We've come to a decision. I'm sure even you understand that I cannot just ignore that little escape attempt of yours, amusing as it may have been."  
  
He turned to Donyc, who had been standing next to the elf, his eyes not leaving the young human's face.  
  
"Donyc here has pledged that such a thing will not happen again, and I believe him. As compensation for the fact that he will not be allowed to kill you as he so adamantly demanded, I agreed to let you two have some time together so that he may teach you some manners," he explained in a pleasant tone of voice.  
  
"I have decided," Cornallar added, watching with relish as quickly disguised fear flickered across the ranger's face, "To let him have all the fun this time, since I want to save my considerable talents for a later date. But," he leaned closer to Aragorn's face, causing him to recoil as far as he could, "I have given him some tips."  
  
He stepped back and smiled at the human commander.  
"He's all yours. Not much more than an hour, though, and don't cause permanent damage. Since he's such a pretty boy, it would really be a shame."  
  
Donyc grinned at the elf, delight plainly written on his face.  
"Thank you, Master Elf."   
  
He bent down and pulled Aragorn to his feet, pushing him into the direction of the trees.  
"See, ranger? I told you we would have some time together. Not as much as I'd like, but let's consider it the first in a series of many other 'conversations', shall we?"  
  
The ranger growled at his captor's words, thrusting his head backwards and catching Donyc right over his left eye. He would be damned if he went quietly, he thought furiously, adrenaline replacing some of the terror he felt.  
The dark haired human stumbled backwards, cursing and holding his head, letting go of Aragorn's arm briefly in the process. The young human seized that opportunity and looked around him wildly for a way to escape, before he felt something heavy slam into his back, throwing him to the ground. He was pulled roughly back to his feet and looked up into the grinning face of Addramyr, who had grasped his arm lest he try something like that again.  
  
Still cursing profusely, Donyc walked up to them, a bruise forming above his eye.  
"You have a knack for annoying people, haven't you?" he asked, grasping his other arm and dragging him over to a thick tree that stood a bit apart from the rest of the wood, closely followed by the rest of his men who carried torches, illuminating the area.  
"Well, let's see how long that lasts."  
  
While three of the men removed his overcoat and bound his hands in front of him, pulling them upwards with a length of rope so that he stood upright, with his back to the trunk and hands fastened above his head, Aragorn decided that he _hated_ trees. He positively loathed them, he thought, trying not to wince when the man that had been his guard tautened the rope, almost forcing him to stand on his toes. All they were good for was falling off and getting tied to by crazy, no, make that maniac elves and/or men.  
  
Aragorn closed his eyes and tried to take deep breaths to combat the terror that was beginning to envelop his whole being.   
'This is not good, not good at all,' he repeated inwardly, 'Elbereth, please… Where is Legolas? He would never have allowed this to happen! Valar, I need you, _mellonamin_…'  
  
Something sharp was pressed against his throat, and he opened his eyes to look into Donyc's dark, cruel gaze that seemed to gleam with an inner light. The look of total enjoyment on his face was enough to make the young ranger feel sick.  
The human commander smiled, pressing the head of an especially thick looking arrow a little harder under Aragorn's chin.  
  
"Well, ranger, do you remember Vaemar? In case you don't, let me help you along: He was the one you killed a few days ago. An arrow through the heart, as you will remember, a good shot, by the way. But," he frowned and shook his head, eyes darkening with anger, "He was also a friend of mine, and I really do not like it when my friends are killed. I've been known to react rather violently," he pushed a bit harder and drew blood, which trickled down the ranger's neck.  
  
"I thought it to be fitting to do the same, you know. But since I promised not to kill you," he nodded at Cornallar who stood farther away to the side, a stony-faced Nólad next to him, "I will modify it slightly."  
  
Quickly he moved the arrow and pressed it against Aragorn's shoulder, just below the collarbone, piercing the skin.  
"What, does that hurt?" he asked in a mocking voice as he pushed harder, causing the young ranger to clench his jaw against the pain. After a few experimental tugs on the arrow that was now protruding from the young man's shoulder, he leaned against the shaft of the arrow, pushing it slowly through the flesh. With each inch of wood that disappeared into the shoulder, causing small rivulets of bright blood flow down the ranger's chest, soaking his shirt, Aragorn face grew paler and paler, a trickle of blood running down his chin from where he had bitten his lip to keep from crying out.  
  
When he had all but pierced his captive's shoulder, Donyc stopped, his eyes shining brightly as he watched the signs of the pain he was inflicting on the young human flicker across the white face.  
He waited for the other man to open his eyes, which he did after a few seconds, confused by the sudden break. Grinning evilly at him, the human commander closed his hands more tightly around the shaft and gave one last push, driving the arrow through the shoulder and into the bark of the tree behind it.  
Squeezing his eyes tightly shut again, Aragorn couldn't stifle a moan of pain that escaped his lips as he pressed the back of his head against the trunk in an attempt to deal with the pain.  
  
"Oh, what, are you in pain? I had no idea! Why didn't you say something?" Donyc asked, twisting the arrow viciously. He stepped closer to the tree and grabbed a handful of dark hair, lifting his captive's head to look into glazed, pain filled eyes.  
"No no no, ranger, you cannot sleep yet! We have still so much to do and so little time… But you know what? I will stop it, if you beg me to. It's rather easy, really, just tell me to stop, and it will all be over. What do you think?"  
  
Aragorn looked at him through a slightly hazy vision and took a few deep breaths to answer. Somehow he didn't seem to be able to get enough air, it felt as if metal bands had wrapped themselves round his chest. Giving up on his attempts to speak, he contented himself with glaring at the dark haired man, who, if looks could kill, would have keeled over and died on the spot.  
  
Donyc didn't seem to be disappointed, however, judging by the smile that spread across his features.  
  
"Ah, I had so hoped you'd do that, ranger," he told him, once again grabbing the shaft of the arrow and snapping it about two inches from the shoulder, eliciting another moan from the young human.  
Giving two of his men a sign which caused them to dash off into the direction of the surrounding bushes, he took a step back and nodded at the guard, who detached the rope that kept the ranger upright and unwound it slightly, giving the captive a bit more room to manoeuvre. Addramyr and another man stepped forward and took a hold of the bound human before he could slide down the tree trunk, stripping off his shirt and turning him round so his back faced the men.  
  
Aragorn sucked in his breath sharply when his tattered shirt caught on the stub of the arrow that was still protruding from his shoulder, closing his eyes as a new wave of pain stole his breath away. His shoulder seemed to be filled with molten metal, or fire, or lava, and every breath felt as if a red hot poker was being jammed into it and twisted for good measure.   
'It's an arrow,' he thought through the pain that seemed to numb his brain, 'Close enough.'  
  
A fist that smashed into his side brought him out of his jumbled thoughts, causing him to clench his teeth in pain. He was sure he had actually _ heard_ that rib snap.  
  
"Not asleep, are we?" the sickeningly cheerful voice of Donyc asked. If Aragorn hadn't been in so much pain, he would even have said some of the things that popped into his head, but it was probably quite a good thing that he didn't. Calling Donyc names would _not_ help his current situation.  
  
"Well, I think it's time to proceed to phase two, what do you mean?" the human commander asked, stepping closer to the bound man. Again a hand grabbed him by the hair, and Aragorn wondered detachedly what it was about his hair that obviously encouraged every other person to take a hold of it and yank his head around, before he was forced to look into Donyc dark, gleaming eyes. His gaze shifting slightly, his eyes came to rest on the dark haired man's hands, that all of the sudden were covered in thick leather gloves.  
He frowned in confusion until his tired brain supplied him with another image: Donyc's gloved hands holding something, something like a stick…  
  
The young ranger narrowed his eyes and tried to focus on the objects Donyc was waving around in front of his eyes. His mouth going dry, he finally realized what it was: Branches of a wild bush, each of them about as thick as two of his fingers and covered with dark, about an inch long thorns.  
  
"Amazing what nature can provide you with, isn't it?" Donyc asked in a soft voice, running his thumb over one of them and basking in the fear he saw in the other man's eyes. He made a move as if to step behind him, but stopped in mid-motion.  
  
"Oh, I almost forgot. Do you have anything to say? Nothing? Not a single word?"  
  
Aragorn pressed his forehead against the dark tree trunk and closed his eyes. His whole body hurt, his shoulder was on fire and the mere thought of any more pain was making him sick to his stomach. He set his jaw and shook his head firmly.  
He would _not_ beg this sadistic maniac for mercy, he just couldn't.  
He ignored Donyc's chuckle and the sounds of the other humans who shouted encouragements to their leader.  
  
'Think positive, Estel,' he thought, taking a deep breath in anticipation of the pain that surely was to come, 'Legolas will find me. He will be fine, he will come to find me. Legolas will come back for me, I know he will…'  
  
A swishing sound behind him caught his attention, closely followed by a stinging pain that tore across his back. His body jerked slightly, but other than that he gave no outer indication of pain.  
Swiftly the next blow fell and the next, causing blood to flow down his back, and all Aragorn could do was press his forehead against the tree, try to keep in the screams of pain as long as possible and pray for unconsciousness.  
  
  
  
  
Nólad surveyed the scene in front of him with disgust. Only _ edain_ could do such things to their own kind, he thought. Watching the first blows fall on the still defiant ranger's back, he decided that this was enough now. If his friend had wanted to teach the boy a lesson, he had succeeded by now. In fact, that point had been reached a long time before.  
He turned to his friend to tell him to stop it, but closed his mouth before he had even said a word.   
  
Cornallar was watching the events with gleaming eyes, taking obvious delight in the pain that could clearly be seen on the young man's face and posture.   
The fair haired elf shook his head in distress; it was a look he had seen too many times in the past. He had done nothing then, but this time it was different. This young _dúnadan_ was the last of Elendil's bloodline and thus possessed elven blood, and he would _not_ see him suffer by the hands of a worthless human like this without saying a word to try and prevent it.  
  
He took a step closer to his dark haired companion and grabbed him tightly by the arm, causing him to look up in surprise.  
  
"_Lye caela quen_," he told Cornallar insistently, and added when his friend didn't move a muscle and his eyes strayed back to the sight before him, _"Sii'!" _  
  
The other elf shrugged half-heartedly and followed his friend, leaving the brightly lit circle of the humans behind. When they had put some distance between themselves and the camp, though not great enough to muffle the swishing sounds of the branches when they found flesh and the shouts of the men, Cornallar turned to face his companion and asked,  
  
"What is it,_ mellonamin_? And couldn't it wait? I found that rather enjoyable."  
  
Nólad took a step forward, his grey eyes boring into his friend's darker ones.  
"You have to stop this!" he said urgently. "There is no need to let Donyc continue like this. The ranger's learned his lesson, of that I'm sure. Besides, he won't try anything like that for a long time."  
  
"Ah, there you are mistaken, dear friend," the dark haired elf said, raising a finger, "I know this kind. They don't budge easily, as our friend Donyc will soon find out, to his disappointment. I have worked with a lot of them. It takes a lot more than this to break them."  
  
Nólad shuddered at his friend's words.  
"Please, _mellonamin_, stop it! He is just a boy, and we are not at war!"  
  
Cornallar's eyes seemed to flare up at that.  
"Oh, aren't we? The way I see it, the war has never really ended! Are you forgetting what his kind brought upon us, together with the almighty High King and his faithful little tag-along, the revered, the perfect Lord Elrond of Imladris? Do you not remember the role Elendil and his cursed sons played in the Tinánd's death? What is the well being or the life of one more _edan_ in comparison to what we will finally achieve? The peace we will find for us and for those who have already journeyed on? We will have our revenge, and they will be able to dwell peacefully in the Halls of Mandos."   
  
The fair haired elf gazed sadly at his friend.  
"That doesn't mean that we have to watch this happen. He is not the enemy."  
  
"Oh, yes he is, his whole kind in general and he in particular," his companion hissed and added, after a moment's hesitation, "Are you questioning my actions, Nólad?"  
  
Nólad dropped his eyes quickly when he saw the expression on his friend's face, cursing himself for having angered him. Now he wouldn't be able to convince him to call Donyc back.  
"Nay, my lord. You know that I am loyal to you, to the end."  
  
Cornallar's gaze softened and he put a hand on his friend's shoulder.  
"Of course I know, _mellonamin_. There is a reason why you are the only one that is still with me."  
  
He stopped and smiled with pleasure when he heard a choked cry of pain echo through the camp, followed by shouts of approval from the onlookers. The dark haired elf flashed his friend a grin that made Nólad shiver and turned back to the camp, beckoning him to follow.  
"Come, my friend. I was wondering how long it would take. Quite impressive though, for such a young one, that is."  
  
Nólad followed his lord, trying to block out the sounds around him as another scream, this time louder, could be heard.   
  
"To the end," he repeated softly, "Through darkness so black that I cannot see my path."  
  
  
  
  
  
**TBC...**  
  
  
  
  
_dúnadan - 'Man of the West', ranger_  
_mellonamin - my friend  
ada - father (daddy)  
edain - humans, men (pl.)  
Lye caela quen - We need to talk  
Sii' - Now!  
edan - human, man (sg.)  
  
  
  
  
  
_***dons winter clothes* Bye! I'm leaving!   
*walks out of the door, but pops head back in after a second* Oh, yes, could you review, please? I won't deny that it was a lot of fun to let you hang like this, but I'm really nervous about this chapter, I mean, really, it was the first bit of torture I have ever written! And it took me an awfully long time too! So please? Please Please Please?**  
  
  
  


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**Additional A/N:  
  
**Reginabean - I saw all the pics in the newspapers, it looks impressive! It's been a long while since I have seen that much snow myself... *g* Well, it's nice to see you again, I'm glad you still like it! Thanks for the review!  
ThE iNsAnE oNe - *watches tio run around screaming* Okay ... *watches painting, reading and with Elladan 'playing' wargs* Now that's definitely weird... Fred sr. never does stuff like this. Well, I think he's a bit afraid of Stan, but otherwise he is fine!** ***grabs tio* STOP threatening my characters! I _know_ they are evil, I _know_ they are stupid, and I _know_ they deserve to die the most horrible death I can come up with, but still: You frighten them! Blasphemy, huh? So, what about: 'She should have died hereafter, there would have been a time for such a word. Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day to the last syllable of recorded time, and all our yesterdays have lighted fools...' *shrugs* MacBeth, is it? We had to learn this and a few other passages by heart a few years ago...  
Mbali - A toe, huh? That's a nice idea! You would get along just fine with my sister, I think! I'll think about it... *evil grin* Thanks for reviewing!  
E - *looks in mirror to make sure* Nope. Not Michael Jackson. Don't wory. *g* *stares* Wow! You are even better than Elrond! HOW did you know something was gonna happen to our favourite ranger in this chapter?! *g* So you want to see them all die painfully? That's a rather widespread idea among the reviewers though, so I'll have to think about it! LOL. I'm sorry I didn't post yesterday, but I just don't have enough time to post every other day. I'll try to post the next one on Saturday though, what about that?  
Aralondwen - *nervous smile* See? He's still alive ... *under her breath* kind of ... *grins happily* Thanks so much for the compliments! It's great to hear that renowned authors such as yourself like my little story! Thanks a lot for reviewing!  
Nightengale - *sighs* Ah, don't we ALL love it when he's in trouble? And he seems to have a knack for getting into these situations... I'm sorry about the cliffhangers, but they are so much fun, I just can't help myself! I'm evil, I know. Next chapter is coming up on Saturday or Sunday, I think, but I don't know, since I have promised to help a friend who is moving into a new flat... *shrugs* We'll see. Thanks for the review!  
Lady Elessar - *nods head adamantly* Yes, exactly! I have asked myself the exact same thing! But they ARE even hotter, aren't they? *hides head in hands* God, we are not normal, I think we need help! Is there something like Evil FF Writers Anonymous? *g* Hope this was soon enough!  
Firnsarnien - *raises hands* Hey, calm down, will you!? That's it, calm down... Besides, I think his guard has taken his club back now! LOL, I'm sorry, but cliffhangers just happen! Honestly! I don't even want to write them, but somehow every other chapter ends up as one! It's my alter ego, I'm telling you... Thanks so much for all your kind words (*sighs happily and rereads review*), and this post is as fast as it gets! Just for you! *g*  
Miss Undastood - Gosh, you scared me for a second! For a moment I thought I'd been using a word that doesn't even exist! Okay, I looked it up again, and here is the definition: 1. To think closely, to ponder in silence, to meditate, 2. To wonder, to consider, 3. (my favourite) To be so occupied in study or contemplation as not to observe passing scenes or things present. *smiles* I hope that's clearer now. Essentialy, it's another word for "to wonder". *g* I'm glad you like Seobryn, he IS sweet!  
Mouse - I have to agree with you there! I wouldn't want to be Donyc or Cornallar when Legolas and/or Elrond catches up with them! *shudders at mere thought* Angry elven lords - not a nice idea! See - I've updated! Don't hurt me! What the heck??! I'm an author and have a pet balrog named Stan and Fred the warg to protect me! You cannot harm me! *g*  
Kaeera - *applaudiert* Nicht schlecht, Madame, nicht schlecht! Ich bin tief beeindruckt! Na ja, mit geschlossenen Augen ist vielleicht ein wenig uebertrieben formuliert, aber ich habe wirklich immer den Text so weit wie moeglich nach oben gescrollt und habe immer nur auf die Zeile geguckt, die ich gerade geschrieben habe! Ist anormal, ich weiss, aber was Donyc da auch macht... *schuettelt sich* Boeser Mann. LOL - deine Mutter - der Teufel? So weit ist es bei mir noch nicht - aber momentan habe ich eh eine sehr gelassene Einstellung, da ich in 2 Wochen eh umziehe, ich sag mir immer nur noch "Was soll's eigentlich"... Danke fuer sie schoene lange review! *g*  
Ciria - Hah, wherever she is, I will find her and tell her what you're doing with the pineapples! *g* No, I will refrain from doing so if you promise to _only_ use them on your sister. Okay? Well, Elladan IS the oldest son and therefore responsible when Elrond is not there or incapacitated, isn't he? Well, I'm not sure about Cornallar myself. I think he's to be pitied, somehow, at least were he human. But he isn't, and a millennia old elf lord should know better. So, right now I think he is a fool, but that might change with time. *g* Okay, Aragorn is here about 22 or 23 years old, I think 22 though. Thanks so much for your long review, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!  
Imbefaniel - Poetic scene/descriptions/songs/torture, huh? That's an interesting mix! Well, I admit I have quite a few guilt trips in here, but hey, there is NO way they would not react like that! I might have neither poetic scenes nor songs, but there is a bit of torture and a few descriptions... *g* Hope you feel warmer now!! Thanks for reviewing!  
Arwen-Evenstar - Your every wish is my command, my lady! The next chapter is here! *smiles* Well, I hope you liked it and haven't fallen off your chair yet - don't look at me like that, it has happened to someone here, to Aurienia? I can't remember, but someone _did_ fall off his chair. Whatever.   
Alilacia - *nods in satisfaction* That paragraph was supposed to be funny, I'm glad you liked it. I seem to be unable to write an entirely serious paragraph. *shrugs* Whatever. It could be worse, I guess. *giggles* Elrond as an elfling, interesting thought... Well, considering his history, he probably hadn't so much fun being the prisoner of the sons of Feanor, but still... Well, sorry, but they leave next chapter and not a minute earlier! Understood? You are not to tell them to go earlier, you would screw with the whole timeline! Timing is crucial here!!  
Zam - *grins happily* Another huge review, thanks!! You are _evil_, a fingerless Estel, really... *giggles* God, I had forgotten about his nakedness, too, so ... save me a seat!! And some popcorn! I'm just catching a plane, I should be there in about, hm 6-9 hours? 'Lucky charms'? Do I even want to KNOW what you are talking about? The only thing that comes to mind is Austin Powers... *puts head in hands* Great, now Legolas is crying again, uhm, sorry, I know, they are 'unrestrained manly tears', sorry... Éomer!! Where are you!! Come here this instant and keep her from banging this poor elven prince over the head, will you!!! Okay, I'm going to move to Antarctica, you never know what Lina might do... See you!  
ManuKu - *guckt sie anklagend an* Weisst du ueberhaupt, wie _schwer_ es ist, Ork-Blut aus dem Teppich zu kriegen? Na? *guckst sie noch anklagender an* Was soll das heissen, jetzt, da es 'gerade spannend geworden ist'?? Heisst das, vorher war es das nicht? Hah? Na gut, schon verstanden... *schlurft davon* LOL, keine Angst, nur Spass... *g* Hach, danke! *wird rot* So viele Komplimente auf einmal! Danke!! Ich hatte es schon mal erwaehnt, ja, aber fuer dich sage ich es doch gerne noch einmal *g*: Geplant sind so ungefaehr 20 Kapitel, aber das ist nur eine Richtschnur. Ich meine, urspruenglich sollte Legolas in Kap. 8 nach Rivendell kommen, man weiss ja nie... *g*  
Aurienia - 'Drastic'? I and doing something 'drastic'? How did you know?? *evil grin* Exactly! *nods happily* He just couldn't escape, it would have destroyed the whole story. Everybody knows that - except for him, poor boy... *sympathetic smile* *pats Aurienia's back* Don't worry! I won't cut off anything - perhaps a toe though, because Mbali asked me too... *evil cackle* Well, I hope this chapter hasn't caused you to start fidgeting again, thanks for the great review!! *huges her back*  
TrustingFriendship - *drops eyes* Well, yes, 'minimum' is a very vague expression, isn't it? I mean, it could have been a lot worse! Oh yes, it could have!! Cornallar could have decided to have some 'fun' himself... *evil grin*  
Alexa - Yes, FF.net can be quite ... annoying sometimes, can it? Just like last time I wanted to upload a chapter, it took me over an hour to do so! *mumbles under her breath* Stupid FF.net, evil stupid FF.net... *g* Hm, yes the poison... In the beginning here you could see that he hasn't recovered completely yet, so I interpret an elf's immune system's reaction to poison in that way that once the poison is drawn from a wound, the patient recovers quickly, even though the wound itself needs some time to heal. Besides, Legolas had only been poisoned for two days, so it wasn't _that_ long. But you are right, I didn't really think about that. Thanks for all the compliments, oh, and don't worry, you can use the old ones again if you want to! LOL, just kidding...  
Carrie - *huggles her* Carrie! It's so nice to see you!! *grabs Carrie as she once again tries to strangle our favourite evil elf* PLEASE stop doing that!!! Yes, I have to agree, Estel is indeed slamming into a lot of things here... trees ... the ground ... trees ... *g* Well done! *hands her a cookie* The Last Alliance it is! *looks at Carrie's demands carefully* Well, about Elrond: I'll see what I can do, but he is stubborn!!!; about Estel: *backs away slowly from angry Carrie* Well, it wasn't THAT bad, was it? Was it??? Meeeeppp!! Help!!; and about Legolas: Gosh, it IS his fault, isn't it?? *runs away cackling evilly* Just kidding, but he is just as stobborn as the rest of them, so it will tkae him some time to see reason... *g* Yay you! No school, that's great! Mind you, I shouldn't be complaining, my term ended Monday!! Yay Nili!!  
Lievre - I'm writing, I'm writing, see? Thanks so much for your compliments, it's so great you like it! *beams* Uhm, yes, well ... *looks at her nervously* I _was_ nice to Elrond, wasn't I? And Estel is still alive, so there's no need to send your monsters after me!! But they wouldn't succeed anyway, since I have a balrog and a warg to protect me!! Mhahahaha!! *runs away to her new home in Antarctica cackling evilly*  
Salara - Owww, danke! Ich hatte schon gedacht, du waerest wegen der Elrond-Angst-Session von mir abgefallen... *g* Und du hattest recht, das Bitten hat nicht viel geholfen, da das ganze schon geschrieben war. Sorry. *unechtes Grinsen* Tja, nun ist es ja eigentlich meine Pflicht, den guten alten Elrond ein wenig zu verletzen, damit du auch was zum Gesundpflegen hast! Ich gebe mir alle Muehe... *g* Danke fuer sie review, und wem sagst du das: die Haelfte der Zeit moechte ich meinen Rechner einfach nur erwuergen!! *g*  
Cestari - Uhm well, yes, thanks very much, I'm glad you like it! And he didn't get _horribly_ beat up, did he? Just a tiny little bit... *g* And don't worry, your favourite elf and the dear twins will get their chance to have a little 'talk' with the kidnappers, sooner or later - knowing me, later... And you like Seobryn? Me too, he is cute, isn't he? *pats his head* LOL, so you'll scream, rip your hair out, go insane _and_ jump off a cliff? We can't have that, now can we? Here's the next bit, I hope you enjoyed it as well!!  
Stasia - My God, you caught me at the last moment here! I was just about to update! What a nice surprose though! *huggles her* What a great review!! Thanks so much! See, I updated as soon as possible! And don't worry, Estel WILL be fine, the evil elves and men WILL get their comeuppance and you WILL NOT kill me! Understood? Dead people tend to be very bad authors... *g* I knew you'd like my curse! Siblings are funny, aren't they? My sister didn't like that one either... *g* Okay, I gotta post now, thanks once again for the great review!!  
  
**Phew, these notes keep getting longer and longer! And I LOVE it!! Thanks so much for your reviews, there's nothing better than to get up in the morning, turn on the computer and see all the nice Review Alerts in the inbox! Thanks!!!**  
  



	13. Counterplay

**Disclaimer: **For full disclaimer, please see chapter 1.  
  
  
**A/N:  
  
*reads reviews*  
Death threat ... death threat ... oh, here we have a three headed dragon that breathes white lightning that will be coming after me ... death threat ... death threat ... the threat to chain me to a chair and force me to watch horrible trashy romantic movies for _six hours_ *shudders* ... death threat ... Legolas/Elladan/Elrohir/Elrond who will come after me ....   
*looks up, beaming at readers*  
Thank you very very much! I LOVE death threats!  
  
*giggles*  
Yeah, I agree, Donyc is a horrible, evil, sadistic person, as is Cornallar - I don't like them at all! And perhaps you are right and Aragorn killed the _only_ friend Donyc ever had - no wonder he's so angry! *g*  
But I'm glad you still liked the chapter! Even though Estel got banged up a bit ... okay, right, quite a bit... *evil grin*  
  
Well, here's chapter 13 already - Thirteen! Wow! Can you believe that!?  
  
Okay, chapter 13, in which ... hmm, ****yes,**** the rescue finally gets under way, Nólad has a talk with several people, Elrond *thinks* and Aragorn,** **well, Aragorn doesn't do much, I'm afraid... *g*  
  
  
Have fun and review, please!  
(*points* See! I changed it from "Enjoy and review"! It's a lot better, isn't it? *g*)  
**  
  
  


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Chapter 13  
  
  
Legolas stood outside Lord Elrond's chambers, waiting patiently for him to finally come out. The twins had left fifteen minutes ago, Elladan hurrying to catch up with his brother who was seething with rage and murmuring none too softly colourful curses in Quenya. From what the fair haired prince had been able to catch, Elrohir had been comparing his father to a multitude of animals that were known for both their stubbornness and stupidity.  
  
The controversy had ended just like the prince had predicted when Elrond finally had had enough of the constant arguments: He had ordered them to remain behind, putting Elladan in charge of Imladris for the time being. The older twin had shot his father a scathing glare and had hurried after Elrohir, murmuring under his breath that he would get a horse ready. While Elrond had been too upset himself to notice his oldest son's amazingly compliant behaviour and had closed the wooden door before Legolas could even utter a word, the younger elf was left to ponder his friend's unusual attitude outside.  
  
'There is something going on,' Legolas thought, leaning back against the stone wall and watching the shadows that the ornate bronze lamps cast onto the cream coloured stone. 'No son of Elrond would just give in like that. I wonder what is going on in that schemer's green haired head…'  
  
He had to grin when he thought of Elladan's hair. It wasn't really visible anymore, but in his fevered state it had indeed seemed bright green yesterday. As it had been two weeks ago, Elrohir had assured him and described the prank he and his human brother had pulled on the older twin, although he had given Aragorn most of the credit. Legolas shook his head, it was truly a miracle the three of them had not yet killed each other. Most of the time he felt somewhat sorry he didn't have siblings when he watched his friend's and his brothers' antics, but there were times, this being one of them, that he was in fact very glad he was an only child.  
  
Remembering the look on Elladan's face when Elrohir had described his rather undignified appearance that morning a fortnight ago, he was almost startled by the soft, creaking sound of the opening door. He looked up and saw the Lord of Rivendell stand in the doorway, apparently ready to leave. Elrond had donned simple travelling garments in the soft grey colour the elves of Rivendell were known for and was just returning his sword to its sheath which hung next to two elven daggers, and it was one of the most beautiful weapons Legolas had ever seen. The sheath was plain, but the blade itself was of finest mithril, the bluish metal adorned with elven characters.   
Noticing the prince's stare, he smiled slightly and said, walking out of the door and into the direction of the courtyard,  
  
"It's a few thousand years old, but it will do."  
  
"It's beautiful," Legolas replied, falling in step next to the elven lord.  
  
"That it is. It was a present from Gil-galad, a few years before he fell in that last battle. Somehow it feels right to use it for this," Elrond explained, smiling softly in recollection of his old friend.  
  
"I understand," the younger elf said softly, his hand unconsciously straying to the pocket where he kept Estel's brooch. He paused for a second, wondering how to get the fact across to the elven lord that there was absolutely no way that he was staying behind. When he had just opened his mouth to begin his reasoning, Elrond's firm voice interrupted him.  
  
"No, young prince. I will not allow you to come."  
  
Legolas face darkened as he wondered how it was that both his father and Lord Elrond always seemed to know what he was thinking. Oh, and there was the Lady Galadriel as well, but she was known to be telepathic.  
  
"Lord Elrond, I …"  
  
Elrond stopped in the middle of the Hall of Fire they had reached by now, but which was all but empty, except for one or two elves who didn't look their merry selves at all. Ever since Estel's disappearance few had felt like celebrating.   
Turning serious grey eyes on the fair haired elf, he said,  
  
"Legolas, I know that you want to find Estel as badly as I do, but I cannot allow you to accompany me. Please," he held up a hand to silence Legolas who was about to object, "Hear me out. I have told you enough of Cornallar for you to understand that we cannot take any chances with him. There is no way to predict what he will do if he feels that his demands have not been met."  
  
Legolas nodded reluctantly.  
"Aye, my lord, I understand. But if we do let you go alone, we will not be able to come to your or Aragorn's assistance in case we are needed, and we will be. I cannot say why, but I have the feeling that he is in mortal danger, no matter what we do. Cornallar is not to be trusted."  
  
Elrond grimaced and resumed his walk.  
"No, you are right, he certainly isn't. I know that perfectly well. But I will not endanger my son's life any more than it already is. We can only hope that he doesn't find out who Aragorn truly is."  
  
Legolas stopped in his tracks, renewed worry shining brightly in his eyes.  
"What do you mean?"  
  
The older elf stopped as well, running a slender hand over his face and sighed.  
"Cornallar doesn't like men in the first place, but he loathes those of Númenorean descent, and he will surely kill any of the House of Elendil he can find. I don't have enough time to tell you all of it right now, so let it be enough to say that he would give everything to get his hands on one of Anárion's descendants. But since, as you well know, the House of Anárion, brother to Isildur, whose heirs ruled the southern kingdom of Gondor, ended with the death of Eärnur more than 900 years ago, I am sure he would settle for a descendant of Isildur instead."  
  
The elven prince blinked slowly, trying to come to terms with that new bit of information. Every few hours another piece of information would show up, making the situation his young human friend faced appear even darker than before. Shaking off the fear for Strider, he took a step forwards, looking at Elrond with pleading eyes.  
  
"One more reason to let me come. You don't know what Cornallar is planning! You will need all the help you can possibly get. Take at least me and the twins with you, my lord. Please," he added as he saw the steely glint in the other elf's eyes, "I must go. I have left him behind once, I cannot do it again. I've failed him! He was in danger and I had the chance to help him, but I did nothing! I cannot live with the knowledge that I left my best friend behind to die!"  
  
Elrond studied the silver-blue eyes closely, noting the way they darkened in despair. Steeling himself, he stepped through the doors and began to make his way down the stone stairs into the dark courtyard.  
  
"No, Legolas. I am sorry."  
  
Shaking his head in frustration, Legolas hurried after him.  
"You cannot order me like the twins!" he exclaimed heatedly, instantly regretting his words as Lord Elrond froze in mid-step and turned to face him.  
  
"No, Prince of Mirkwood, I cannot," he retorted softly, giving Legolas a smile, "But I can ask you. I need you to stay here to make sure the twins don't get themselves into trouble, I'm afraid they don't agree with my decision." At that even Legolas had to smile; that was an interesting way of putting it.  
  
Elrond stepped closer and placed a hand on the younger elf's shoulder.  
"I know you want to help Aragorn. But I will neither allow Cornallar to take my two other sons as well, nor to kill the only heir to a neighbouring kingdom. Estel would not want you to throw your life away in a vain attempt to safe his life. Besides, you are not fully healed yourself yet, you won't help anyone if you rip open my stitches. I am sorry, Legolas, but there is no other way."  
  
Gazing into the grey eyes that looked so much like Aragorn's, Legolas lowered his head and nodded soundlessly.  
  
Elrond smiled softly.  
"They are stubborn, both of them. Keep an eye on them for me."  
  
"I will," Legolas replied softly as they neared the horse the twins and a few stable hands were preparing and added, "Not nearly as bad as Aragorn though."  
  
The dark haired elven lord smiled sadly.  
"He is a lot like my brother sometimes," he said, speaking of Elros who had chosen mortality so many years ago, "Elros wouldn't see reason either when his mind was set on something."  
  
They reached the small group that clustered round the horse that was eyeing the activity patiently. While Elrond was stowing away the supplies he'd brought, among them a bag full of healing herbs and bandages about the size of a small boulder, Legolas exchanged a look with the twins, who were winking at him through dark lashes conspiratorially. He had to stifle a grin as he watched his friends turn their eyes back on their father, who was just mounting, just the right amount of disgruntled acceptance and fear on their faces.  
'They could have fooled me with that look on their faces,' he thought appreciatively.  
  
The Lord of Imladris looked down at them, giving all three of them a stern glare.  
"I hope I have made myself clear. You are not to follow me, understood?"  
  
The twins nodded reluctantly.  
  
"Very well. In my absence Elladan will be acting Lord of Rivendell, and so I have told the members of the council I could find at such short notice. Until I and Estel return, listen to them and especially to Erestor. They will convene tomorrow morning, and I trust you to explain to them why and where I am going."  
  
His gaze softened when he looked into the solemn faces of his elven sons.  
"If I am not back in two week's time, and you have heard neither from Estel nor from me, send word to Lórien. The Lady Galadriel will know what to do."  
  
Elrohir nodded and took a step closer to his father's horse, grasping his hand.  
"May the grace of the Valar protect you, father. Bring him back, so we can teach him to be more careful in the future."  
  
Elrond smiled at them.  
"Namárië, my sons. Look after them, young prince."  
  
Legolas, who had kept back to give father and sons time to say goodbye in private, took a step forward and nodded his head, his blonde hair reflecting the pale light of the moon.  
"Don't worry, my lord. We will be fine. May Elbereth watch over your path."   
  
The elven lord gave them one last look and spurred his horse on, soon disappearing in the distance. The three of them waited until the horse had passed out of sight, and when not even their elven eyes could see it anymore, they turned as if on an unspoken signal and hurried into the direction of the main house. When they crossed the doors and reached the broad staircase that led to the upper levels, they stopped, looking at each other.  
  
When all he could see in his companions' eyes was silent approval, Elladan began to speak, looking at his brother.  
"Elrohir, if you could see about the supplies, please. Don't forget to pack the herbs, we will need them."  
  
Elrohir nodded and dashed off into the direction of the kitchens, missing his brother's mumbled "Especially when father gets a hold of us."  
  
Elladan turned to Legolas, giving him a lop-sided grin.  
"I will get the horses ready and try and explain all this to Erestor. I would be honoured if you would be so kind to get our clothes and weapons from upstairs, my prince. You know where everything is, I suppose?"  
  
The elven prince gave the other elf a contemptuous smile and made his way quickly up the stairs, heading for their rooms and suppressing the guilt he felt for breaking his word to Lord Elrond.   
'It is for his own good,' he reasoned, pushing open the door leading to his own room, hastily gathering his clothes and weapons and packing them up as quickly as possible.  
'Lord Elrond will need our help, I just _know_ he will. As will that reckless human."  
  
He grabbed his bow and quiver and moved into the direction of the door.  
  
'Hold on, _mellonamin_,' he thought as he left his room, turning to the right to enter Elladan's chambers, 'We are coming. Just a little longer now.'  
  
  
  
  
Nólad walked purposefully across the little camp, his left hand tightly closed around his small bag. He gave the guard a cold stare, not feeling particularly sorry for the man who was probably suffering from a rather nasty headache, judging by the painful looking lump behind his ear. That was the one, the elf remembered, Donyc had almost killed a few hours ago in his fury and ordered to keep watch for the remaining hours of the night, as punishment for letting the ranger escape.  
  
Under any other circumstances the fair haired elf would have considered this a highly unwise decision, since the man was obviously more than a little tired already, but this time he had to agree with the human commander that the captive would not try and escape again. Not for a long time, anyway.  
Turning his mind to the matter at hand, he said,  
  
"I'm here to have a look at him and make sure you haven't damaged him beyond repair."  
  
The man grinned evilly at him, gesturing into the shadows under the tree a few yards to his left.   
"Oh, you can look all you want, Master Elf. There's not much left of him though, I'm afraid. Suit yourself."  
  
Nólad gave him another glare. The more time he spent with the humans, the less he liked the lot of them. And he didn't like their kind to begin with.  
"The torch," he demanded slowly, as is talking to an extremely stupid troll.  
  
The human dropped his eyes under the irritated look of elven testiness and quickly handed over the cackling torch he had stuck into the ground in front of him.  
Snatching the burning wood from the man, the elf took a few steps forward, walking slightly around the tree that still bore ominous stains, now dried to a rusty colour.  
  
Lighting the area with the torch, he took a deep breath when the cone of light touched the still body of the ranger.  
'Ilúvatar, he's a mess,' he thought as he let his eyes wander over the bloody form, suppressing any remorse and sympathy he might feel. He was here to make sure the _dúnadan_ survived, nothing more.  
  
Making up his mind quickly, he sank to his knees and turned back to the guard, gracing him with the most authoritative stare he could manage.  
  
"I won't require your assistance. I will call for you when I am finished."  
  
The man looked as though he wanted to protest, but thought better of it. If he had to choose between his commander's wrath and that of their employer that would descent on him because he had not obeyed a command of the elf's friend, he would take Donyc every time.  
  
"Alright, Master Elf, but do not untie him. You know what your lord and Donyc said about that for the future."  
  
Nólad gave the guard a smile that did not even look as if it was meant seriously and nodded.  
After the human had shuffled off to settle down next to the fireplace in the middle of the clearing, the elf turned his attention back to the young human in front of him.  
  
"I _told_ you to be careful, ranger. But humans never listen, do they?" he whispered softly, trying to decide which wounds to treat first. After a moment's hesitation he opted for the shoulder wound; that arrow needed to come out as quickly as possible. He had watched enough humans die from blood poisoning after such a wound because the arrow hadn't been removed quickly enough to know that this was the most serious injury. Well, at least this one was not poisoned. He hoped.  
  
The fair haired elf was just turning the unconscious human over on to his back when he heard a man approach him, treading lighter than most of the men, who in fact could be confused with a horde of clumsy orcs if one did not listen closely enough for the subtle differences.  
Without turning around, Nólad ran his fingers over the ranger's bruised and discoloured chest, feeling for broken ribs and finding them quickly enough. After a while Donyc had got tired of the whipping, and he and a few of his men had taken to beating the young man instead. At that point the ranger had been so far gone that he didn't even have enough strength to scream, and when a particularly nasty blow to his head slammed his skull against the bark of the tree and the young human had finally lost consciousness, Nólad had been sure that even a few of the men had sighed in relief.  
  
Pressing down lightly on a dark bruise that would assume a spectacular multicoloured tinge in a few hours, he said in a low voice,  
  
"If you are planning to sneak up on something, young one, I would advise you not to step on every single twig you can find. Most of them tend to snap under a human's weight."  
  
Turning around, he saw Seobryn stand in the light of the torch, looking awed by the fact that the elf had not only heard him approach, but had obviously known who it had been as well. When Nólad raised a questioning eyebrow, he explained hastily, showing the ranger's overcoat he was carrying as proof,  
  
"I thought he should have this, it is awfully cold so far away from the fire. And," he dropped his eyes, "I know a bit about healing, I thought I could help you."  
  
The elf sighed in exasperation.  
"Very well, as you're here already … Have you brought any water?" he asked, returning his eyes to the bound human in front of him.  
  
Seobryn nodded quickly, flicking his brown hair out of his eyes and producing a water skin.  
"Yes, Master Elf, I have. How is he?"  
  
"Not good," the fair haired elf admitted, noting the pallid hue of Aragorn's face and the cold sweat that stood on his brow. He placed a slim hand on the man's chest, feeling for a heart beat, which was too fast for his liking.  
"Do you see the grey colour and these spots on his face? His heartbeat and breathing are too fast as well, he's gone into shock. What a surprise," he added wryly, noting the way the boy next to him blushed in embarrassment.  
  
Locking eyes with Seobryn, he told him, seizing the dark shaft of the arrow that was covered with dried blood,  
"Hold him down. This will be quite unpleasant."  
  
The young human complied and took a hold of the ranger's left shoulder, wincing as he thought of the weals on the man's back he was pressing into the ground in the process. When Nólad started to slowly pull out the arrow, careful not to rip any more muscles and tendons while doing it, Aragorn's body jerked and tried to escape their treatment, but was altogether too weak to throw Seobryn off. The elf tightened his own grip on the ranger's right upper arm that had got slippery with blood that flowed freely from the open wound, and with a final tug, the arrow slid out of the shoulder, glistering red in the moonlight. The young man gave a short, soft cry of pain and opened his eyes that were dulled with pain and tried to focus on something, without much success it appeared.  
  
Nólad leaned over him to press him back down when silver eyes fixed on his face, clinging to his as if holding on for dear life.  
  
"Legolas?" the injured human muttered so softly that Nólad could hardly understand him, "Legolas … you … how …"  
  
Without even thinking, the fair haired elf pushed him back gently while at the same time struggling to fasten a bandage on the shoulder wound.  
  
"Shh, everything is alright, don't worry. Go back to sleep," he whispered softly in Elvish as he searched the ranger's bruised face for any signs the boy understood that he was not the elven prince he thought him to be.  
Aragorn did not heed the elf's words, his body struggling against their hands that held him down, trying to sit up.  
  
"Legolas … you … alright … please ... don't go … need … you …" he stammered, teeth chattering with cold as his body slipped even farther into shock.   
  
Nólad gritted his teeth, fighting down the wave of pity that swept over him. Right now the human looked a lot younger than his twenty-something years.  
  
"I am just fine, _mellonamin_," he said, giving the arm he held a squeeze, "I won't go anywhere."   
Trying to remember what the name Cornallar had told him about had been, the one Elrond's sons had used, he added after a second,   
"You need to rest, Estel. Sleep."  
  
The young human's eyes closed as unconsciousness once again claimed him, relaxing his body and causing his head to loll to the side.  
  
"Is he …" Seobryn asked, eyeing the still body anxiously.  
  
"No," the elf replied, motioning him to help him turn Aragorn onto his stomach to clean his back, "He isn't. He will be fine, in time. If the wounds don't get infected, that is."  
  
The boy nodded as he avoided looking at the deep welts on the ranger's back that were still oozing blood.  
  
"The name he just called – that's his elf friend, isn't it? The one we met on the road?" he asked a few minutes later as they were just finishing wrapping the back up as best as they could.  
  
Nólad nodded his head as he fastened the end of the last bandage.  
"Aye, young one. That was Prince Legolas of Mirkwood."  
  
"He … He called that name earlier, you know – before," Seobryn said quietly, spreading the leather overcoat over the ranger's motionless form as the elf packed up his rapidly depleting supplies. "He said some more, but it was elf speech, and we couldn't understand it."  
  
The fair haired elf took up the remains of the torch and rose to his feet, deciding to ignore that statement.  
  
"You'd better get back to the others before the guard sees you here, Master Human," he said, giving the boy a slight smile, "I'm sure Donyc wouldn't be too pleased if he found out that you came here to help him. Why did you, by the way?"  
  
Seobryn looked at him with big, serious eyes.  
"I knew he'd be cold and couldn't stand the thought of leaving him like this for the whole night, after all that's … happened," he explained, struggling to find the right words. "He could have died like that, and I wouldn't have that on my conscience."  
  
He gave the elf a shy look and added softly,   
"Just for the same reasons why you are here, really. Good Night."  
  
He turned around and disappeared into the direction of the camp, twigs snapping softly as he went.  
  
Nólad took one last look at the unconscious ranger in front of him and turned to notify the guard that he was finished.  
'Naïve, that one,' he thought sadly as he told the man that he could return to his post, 'Just what does he think will come to pass?'  
  
Watching the guard walk back into the direction of the tree, he returned to his horse to put away his bag, wondering what exactly his motives _ had_ been for caring for the young _dúnadan_.   
  
  
  
  
Elrond looked up at the sky that was slowly beginning to brighten as the sun prepared to resume her endless journey across the heavens. Stifling a sigh, he rose to his feet and once again took up his pacing back and forth on the little spot of the road he had chosen for waiting, wondering for a moment what Glorfindel would say.  
  
'A lot,' he decided after a while and turned on his heel to walk back the way he had come, 'Or, if I were really unlucky, he would only give me his "There-are-things-a-proper-elf-lord-never-does-and-pacing-is-one-of-them-look", the one he uses to emphasize the fact that he died for the first time when my own father was but a child of seven years and is therefore much older and wiser than me.'  
  
He arrived at the spot where he had left his horse on a grassy patch near the road where it could graze to its heart's content. The animal lifted its head and gave the fidgeting elf lord a glare that clearly said it suggested that Elrond sit down and be quiet if he didn't want to make the rest of the journey on foot. The elf lord in question returned the glare, narrowing his eyes as he stared the horse down. After a few seconds he realized what he was doing and blinked, sitting down on a log next to the beast.  
  
'Ilúvatar, what am I doing? Staring down a horse? Well, I do not dare to even imagine what Glorfindel would say to _that_…'  
  
Resting his head in his hands, he tried to calm himself. He couldn't remember being this upset since … well, a very long time. Not since Celebrían's capture. Interrupting this unpleasant train of thought, he raised his head and clutched the hilt of his sword so tightly the white knuckles showed through the skin.  
'It will _not _end like that,' he told himself firmly, 'Estel will not leave me. He can't, it's too early, far too early! There is so much he has not yet seen, so much depends on him. Elbereth, there is so much I need to tell him…'  
  
Getting to his feet again, he began his pacing anew, giving his horse a wide berth that looked thoroughly annoyed by now, judging by the way its tail swished from side to side. The last thing he needed now was getting attacked by his own horse.  
Walking up the path, he studied the night sky.   
  
'"Be there in time",' he fumed inwardly. 'Well, I am here, the only problem is, no one else is!'  
  
Elrond turned his mind away from this problem that only served to increase his fear that Cornallar might already have killed his human son and pondered the twins' docile behaviour instead. When he had had time to think about it, he had realized that their obedience was at least weird, if not alarming.   
They were up to something, he decided, turning around to walk back.   
'If I find out they have put as much as a toe out of the borders of Imladris, they will wish I had taken them with me and presented them to Cornallar on a plate as a sign of my good will!'  
  
He was just cautiously approaching his horse when he heard soft hoofbeat that was coming closer quickly. The elf turned round to study his surroundings, but the place was truly well chosen for such a meeting. The fork in the road lay a little to the south of the main road that led to the Misty Mountains, into the direction of the Bruinen whose source was located not far from here at the mountains' foot.   
All around it there was a dense wood, preventing anyone inside to see approaching riders, but anyone outside could watch the main road and the surrounding area for miles. The next hiding place was up the road to the west, and since any escort he could have brought with him would not know where to go, they would be too far away to be of help to him.  
  
Elrond closed his eyes and took a deep breath, attempting to force his face into the calm façade befitting a millennia old elf lord. The last thing he wanted was for Cornallar to see how worried he really was, and how his sudden appearance had stirred up buried memories and reawoken old doubts.  
  
But it wasn't the dark haired elf he remembered who rode up the road a few minutes later, and, unless Cornallar had changed considerably over the past 3000 years, it wasn't him at all. It was a human, quite ordinary looking, clad in dark clothes, who looked at him calculatingly. The elf lord studied the man closely. So that was one of the men who had taken his son, Elrond thought, a cold fury spreading in his chest, and, by the look the human shot him before dropping his eyes, on his face as well.  
  
The man swallowed nervously before asking,   
"You are Elrond?"  
  
The dark haired elf nodded, not taking his eyes off the man.  
"Yes, I am. Where is the one that pays you and your companions for your … services?" he asked, contempt and distaste in his voice.  
  
The man shifted in the saddle, valiantly risking a glance at the elf.  
"I will take you to him. I …" he took a deep breath, plucking up his courage, "I need to ask you to surrender your weapons."  
  
He dropped his eyes quickly and therefore missed the battle of conflicting emotion that flashed across the elf lord's face. After a few second Elrond nodded.  
"Very well, I will do what you ask. But first you must give me your word that the ranger is still alive and well."  
  
The man nodded quickly, slightly surprised the elf was really willing to comply. His employer had assured him he would be, but he had found that hard to believe.  
"That I can give you, as far as I know, Master Elf. When I parted with the others less than three days ago, he still was, and they stressed that he was not to be harmed unnecessarily."   
  
He decided in an instant that this was all the elf needed to know, the facts that the ranger had fallen off a tree and had managed to antagonize Donyc with a surprising speed were not relevant.  
  
Elrond nodded and unbuckled his sword belt, handing over the blade and his knives. He mounted his horse and beckoned the man to lead the way. Before he could comply, the elf manoeuvred his horse closer to that of the human, his grey eyes boring into the man's.  
  
"If you have harmed him, I will take these back and kill every single one of you," he said in a soft voice, as if stating nothing more than the fact that the sky was of a particularly beautiful colour today.  
  
The man swallowed, a shiver racing down his spine. As he guided his horse into the direction of the main road, he cursed his commander once again for making this deal with the elves. Elves were known to be strange and dangerous, and, it seemed, they had got the strangest and most dangerous of the lot.  
Remembering the look that one had given him, he swallowed again to suppress another sudden shiver of fear.  
  
Yes, he thought, he believed that elf would do as he said. Without even getting in a sweat or batting an eyelid.  
  
  
  
  
The morning dawned brightly and clearly when Cornallar could see his friend make his way towards him and the human commander, giving Donyc a barely disguised look of disgust. When the fair haired elf had reached them where they sat by the fire that was doing its best to ward off the morning chill, he smiled and greeted his friend.  
  
"Good morning, _mellonamin_! Is everything ready?"  
  
Nólad returned the smile and settled down next to his companion.  
"Good morning to you too, my lord. Everything is ready. The men who are to come with you have been supplied with the swiftest horses and await your command."  
  
"Good, thank you, my friend. How is the _edan_ doing?" he asked, an strange glint hidden in his dark eyes.  
  
"He will live, I suppose," the other elf answered indifferently.  
  
Cornallar nodded his head and added, eyeing his friend closely,  
"Donyc here has informed me that you have visited our little guest during the night and seen to his wounds?"  
  
Nólad shot the human a scathing look before fixing his eyes on the dark haired elf, looking him straight in the eye.  
"Yes, my lord, I have. Since _Donyc here_," he interrupted himself and gave the dark haired human another glare, "Has overdone it a bit yesterday evening, I thought it best to make sure that the ranger made it through the night. We want him alive, after all."  
  
His companion nodded his agreement.  
"You are correct, _mellonamin_, forgive me." He turned to the human commander and asked, "Could you please make sure that your men are ready to leave? How many have you assigned to come with me? Three?"  
  
Donyc rose to his feet as he shook his head.  
"No, Master Elf, we agreed on four. I think you need at least four to carry out your plan, and I even found two who have some experience in that area. They will be ready in a minute."  
  
Giving them a nod, he turned and walked away, calling out the names of the four men as he went.  
  
Cornallar watched him for a second before turning back to his friend.  
"In the future I would like you to coordinate your actions with me, Nólad. I know that you only have my best interests in mind, but I feel you have developed something of a soft spot for that _dúnadan_. Have you?"  
  
The fair haired elf met his friend's calculating eyes steadily.  
"I have not. I merely see no point in endangering his life or letting him suffer at the hands of Donyc or his kind before the time."  
  
The dark haired elf laughed, putting an arm around his companion's shoulder.  
"Ah, my friend, you never knew how to enjoy life. But I haven't given up on the hope to teach you one day."  
  
Pulling his friend to his feet, he began to walk him into the direction of the horses.  
"When I have left, you will be in charge, Nólad. Take them over the mountains as quickly as you can and try to avoid being seen by anyone as far as possible. I have asked Donyc to send for more of his men to meet you once you get home." Noting the questioning look on the other elf's face, he explained, smiling condescendingly, "Yes, I know, it's hard to believe, but the _ edan_ really has a few carrier pigeons that never fail to reach their destination, or so he claims. He sent one of them to his friends this morning."  
  
They reached the horses and Cornallar mounted quickly, anxious to be off. Nólad watched his friend, noting the way his eyes shone in anticipation of the encounter that was to come. No, he thought quietly, there was no way to dissuade him from this course of action. Perhaps a few months ago, but now it was too late. First blood had been drawn, and Cornallar would see this to the end. Sighing inwardly, he lifted his head and looked at his friend again, who was just giving him a few last-minute instructions.  
  
"The horse I had to shoot yesterday will not be able to carry much, so the little _edan_ will have to ride with someone else. I would have suggested Donyc, but I think after yesterday evening that would be a little bit … unwise, wouldn't you agree? I think the dear commander hasn't forgiven the boy for not giving in yet. He could be tempted to do something foolish. So I think it would be best if you took him, if you put your things on the injured horse you should have room enough. Tomorrow he should be able to ride alone again – if he wakes up till then, that is," he said sneering, his eyes turning to the still unconscious figure of Aragorn on the other side of the camp.  
  
"Oh, and remember, _mellonamin_, the ranger is not here to have a little vacation. Make sure he doesn't die till we arrive, but nothing more. Do you understand?" the dark haired elf asked, his dark eyes burning into Nólad's light grey ones.  
  
The fair haired elf nodded, dropping his eyes.  
"Yes, my friend, I have. We will await your arrival. Namárië."  
  
Cornallar smiled at his companion.  
"Namárië," he replied. „Have an eye on the _edain_. I do not trust them."  
  
Nólad bowed his head slightly as he watched his friend spur on his horse and disappear into the direction of the rising sun, followed by four men who had trouble keeping up with the elven horse. His brow wrinkled in barely hidden contempt when he heard Donyc step closer.  
  
"Very well, Master Elf," the man said cheerfully, oblivious to the feeling the elf harboured for him, "Let's get them moving and wake the ranger, shall we?"  
  
His tone of voice left no doubts about the methods he intended to employ for that task.  
The elf stifled another sigh and turned to follow the dark haired human.  
  
'No,' he thought frowning, 'I really do not like that one at all.'  
  
  
  
  
  
**TBC...  
  
**   
**  
  
** _mellonamin - my friend  
__dúnadan_ - _'Man of the West', ranger  
edan - human, man (sg.)  
edain - humans men (pl.)  
  
  
  
  
_**See? See??? No cliffhanger!! Well, at least I think so... That's worth a review, isn't it? *g* I know I know, I'm not normal, but hey: Show me one person who is reading this and still IS normal and I will gladly agree to marry Cornallar. *thinks about it* Well, then again, perhaps _not_... *g***  
**Stay tuned for the next chapter, which will be here soon and in which the twins and Legolas run into - what else? - trouble. *sighs* How do they do that??**  
  
  
  


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_**Additional A/N:**  
  
Imbefaniel - *grins evilly* I'm glad _someone_ likes my sense of humour! When I was working in Switzerland for three months, _nobody_ understood my jokes! They just kept staring at me till I said "Uhm, sorry guys, it was a JOKE!" They don't even _know_ what sarcasm IS there - the only person I liked was someone from Wales! You read all three books in three weeks? Wow, I'm impressed, I needed about four or five!!  
Arwen-Evenstar - *pokes her* Dying? Uhm, don't you think that's a bit extreme? *g* But well, if you want to, go ahead... *g* Well, I'm glad you liked the torture bit, because I _really_ did not like writing it. I was muttering "OMG, what am I doing, no! That's gotta hurt, NO!! Estel!!" all the time - my family thought I were crazy! Mind you, they still think that... *g*  
Aralondwen - *wide-eyed* You're off to take a swim in Mount Doom, huh? Ah well, if that's what you like... You and your silver dull spoon of death? Well, that's something I reallly do NOT want to see... *huggles Aralondwen* Thanks so much for adding me to your favourites! And thanks for the cookies! They are delicious!  
Mouse - *hands Mouse a cookie* Well done! You know our dear elven prince and his friends the twins quite well! So you're an Aussie then? I've met quite a few and they were all definitely weird...uhm, I mean, very nice!! Really! Pefectly nice and NORMAL and... *g* Just kidding. Well, I'm happy someone likes poor Nólad! I love him, but I'm not yet sure what to do with him... *g* We'll see.  
E - Calm down, girl, everthing is alright, breathe... *pats her back* Better now? Don't worry, they will all get what they deserve in the end - I think. Since it's not written yet, I can't promise that... *giggles* Elrond put him in a cage and prod him with hot irons? That is such a NICE idea! *eyes glaze over* Ohh, just imagine.... Well, but you're probably right, he wouldn't do that. Damn. Thanks for all your compliments! And the review, of course...  
Princess Earine - Update faster, huh? Well, I do what I can, but unfortunately there is something called RL - dammit to Hell! *g* I hope you liked this chapter as well, ans thanks a lot for the review!  
Lievre - The one behind Pluto it is then! (Sorry, I never knew our solar system's planets by name - pretty weak, I know...) *chuckles* A three headed dragon, huh? That's somthing different for a change... Okay, point noted, a bit too long. I don't really think so, but I'll remember it in the future. *thinks* Perhaps you are right and it was a bit long... *shrugs* I'll think about it. And the characterization: Who? How? When? Why? *g* No, really, if you would tell me what exactly it is you mean, I will do my best to change it. I know it's a bit modern, but that's unavoidable, at least with me. But please tell me, I always try to improve. If you'd like, just send me an email and we can talk about it. Thanks!  
Lurker - Hmm, two hours? Wow, thanks for spending so much time on this... *g* And the time frame thing: You are right, I didn't say it in the fic itself, but at the beginning of ch2 I said it took place in 2953, when Estel was 22 years old. So that means it takes place about 1½ - 2 years after his 20th birthday, and therefore the time when he learned of his heritage. A bit complicated, I know... *g* Thanks for reviewing!  
Firnsarnien - *uncovers ears* Feel better now? My my my, it wasn't that bad, now was it? And here is the update, just for you! *g* Thanks so much for all your reviews!!  
Angel - *blushes* Owww, thanks so much for your kind words! *grins evilly* Well, _of course_ trouble is brewing, is a story about Legolas and Aragorn, isn't it? I think there are few enough times to count them on one hands when there was NO trouble brewing! *g* Thanks a lot for the review!  
TrustingFriendship - *frowns* Nólad help Estel in the end? Never!! *shakes fist* No, don't worry, just kidding! Let's just say, it's a possibility, okay? I haven't quite decided yet. We'll see. Thanks for all your reviews, it's always great to see familiar 'faces'!  
Acacia - *raises eyebrow* It wasn't me! It was my alter ego, SHE made me do these things! I didn't want to!! *g* Mhahaha, I'm schizophrenic! And you are quite right, Elrond will _not_ be happy! Well, I didn't update 'now', but I hope this is soon enough?!  
ManuKu - *grinst stolz* HAH! Sie ist sprachlos! Das hat man ja auch nicht oft! Ja, du kannst mir glauben, ich habe SEHR gelitten! Und wie! Ich habe die ganze Zeot zitternd vorm Bildschirm gesessen!! Tjajaja, Nólad ist schon ein armes Schwein... *taetschelt seinen Kopf* Armer Junge. Was aus ihm wird, steht auch noch in den Sternen... *fieses Grinsen* Mit der Fortsetzung: Eine vage Idee habe ich schon. Betonung auf vage. Ausserdem habe ich einen Umzug vor mir und fahre MItte Maerz fuer eine Monat wieder nach England. Vielleicht habe ich da ja Zeit, mir Gedanken zu machen und anzufangen. Wer weiss. Allgemein bin ich dieser Idee jedoch nicht abgeneigt! *g*  
Raquel - *grins* Exactly! Where would be the fun when if got back unscathed? Hm?? Well, I don't really know if Cornallar's son had a 'bad' relationship with his father, he just didn't see things his way. And Cornallar is one of these "Who is not not with me, is against me"-types. *shudders* Idiots. *slaps forehead* Dammit! Am I that predictable? *hangs head* Yes, I am, I guess... *beams* I'm so glad you like Nólad! The more I write about him, the more I come to love him! I don't know yet what exactly will happen to him, although I have some ideas... *evil cackle* I know. That can't be good.  
Aurienia - Owww, don't cry, see, he is still alive and well! Well, ALIVE, at least... *g* And I can assure you that I pray every evening that they will NEVER find me! I would be soooo dead then... *shudders* You are going to France? Cool! Way better than Antarctica!! *g* Thanks for reviewing!  
XsilicaX - *evil grin* Don't worry, I will have someone heal that cut in the end! We wouldn't want to spoil his great looks, now would we?? Thanks for saying you liked the torture, I wasn't sure about it. I still am, to be precise... *g* Yes, well, running off - not exactly, huh? They wait till he's gone, that's all, so they have at least matured a bit... Thanks a lot for the review!!  
ThE iNsAnE oNe - *stared wide-eyed* Ah well - so you liked the torture scene, I see? Donyc is a very nice chap, isn't he? Ack! *runs away and hided from tio's wrath* You didn't, then? *g* *pats her back sympathetically* I know, I know ... we are sick. Very sick. But they are so much nicer in their tortured states... what am I saying? Let's find us a therapist, shall we? Mhahaha, I still know a bit more: "Look, love, what envious streaks do lace the severing clouds in yonder east? Night's candles are burnt out, and jocund day stand tip-toe on the misty mountain's top. I must be gone and live, or stay and die..." *rereads and giggles* See that? 'Misty Mountains'! Hah!  
Ciria - Lucky you! I haven't seen TTT for ages - at least a month! Wow, you are the first Nólad-lover here! Except for me, of course! Well, than this chapter whould have been just your thing - lots and lots of Nólad. And don't worry, he will be in here a lot - he is one of the main characters, isn't he? *coughs* Have you forgotten already? Glorfindel is in Lothlórien on an errant from Elrond, the twins and Aragorn escorted him to the borders - the wargs and all that, you remember? Hm, I guess Estel had Elrond and the twins teaching him as well as several other elves, but Glorfindel is one of the 'main' teachers, at least here. No, he didn't mean Aragorn's parents, just the men who were killed during the War of the Last Alliance. The ones Cornallar and those of his kind killed. And, last but not least, Cornallar's hair is black. Thanks so much for the huge review! *hugs her*  
Alilacia - *g* As I said, I think an entirely serious scene would be quite boring - besides, these things just keep popping into my head. *shrugs* There's nothing I can do. LOL, a running jump off the Falls of Rauros! That's a great mental picture!! Owww... *wipes eyes* You put my villains on the 'Hated Villains List'? That's so sweet! I'm sure Donyc and Cornallar will be very pleased... *g* Well, don't worry, the rescue is under way now!!! Yay Estel!!   
Miss Undastood - *grins evilly* Well, I'm glad you liked it!! Oh, and: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I'm sorry I couldn't make it yesterday, but there was really _no_ way. Sorry. And, just as ordered, more Seobryn, only for you!! *g*  
Alexa - Yes, they are wicked, arent't they? (I love that word as well, it is - uhm, well, wicked??) Okay, so you are a Legolas fan? More of your favourite is coming up in the next chapter (*winces at mere thought* Poor Legolas!!) !! I could never resist puppy dog looks... *sighs*  
AngelsofLight - 5 Hours?? FIVE HOURS?? Really? That long?? Wow, I didn't know it took that long... *shakes hand* Well done! Well, to quote Elrond: You have shown extraordinary resilience against its evil!! Don't worry, I would never kill my baby!! All the obsessive fans would hunt me down!! *shudders* And hey, your English is not bad! And since English isn't my first language either, I am hardly in a position to complain, am I? *g* Thanks for reviewing!!  
Reginabean - LOL, indeed, Nólad for secret ally!! Still snowing?? Poor you!! It's finally getting warmer here! Yay!! I'm sick of ice and cold and snow and winter!!  
Salara - *kippt um* SISSI!! Wie kann man denn nur so grausam sein? Was fuer ein krankes Gehirn kann sich eine Sechs-Stunden-Version ausdenken?? *schuettelt sich* Das ist gegen die Menschenrechte!!! *grinst* Aber ich muss zugeben, effektiv waer's... Tja, auch dem Autor tat's weh, das kann ich dir versichern. Ich bin wohl im 'Comfort'-Teil besser als im 'Hurt'-Teil... Na ja, durch manche Sachen muss man einfach durch... *g* Und deine Dialog-Review war exzellent! Boese, aber gut...*g*  
Lina - *sniffs* No, you didn't review last chapter! I was very sad and cried the whole day... LOL, don't worry. FF.net has probably deleted it, it does this kind of stuff all the time!! *backs away from Lina* Well, "A Human Pincushion" is a bit exaggerated, it's only ONE arrow... And, please, don't kill Legolas, and DON'T touch his hair! At least not if you want him to help Estel! You know how he is - he will brush it for hourse until he's ready to go anywhere... *sighs* Prissy elf. *pats Éomer's head* Right you are, dear, only you can cry unrestrained, manly tears. Don't worry. *g*  
Zam - *g* I always knew they were strange, but that they were incompetent as well ... Perhaps you should consider asking Lina for another orc horde, Zam. They seem to be quite useless... *g* LOL, Estel as a dwarf!! Now, that IS sad!! Ask Lina!! And, dwarf or not: *hisses at Zam* Take your hands off my baby, now!! Ah, I see you have exchanged the orcs for a horde of treehuggers? A very good choice!! They are scary!! *g* *jumps up and down* A new chapter? I will go and read it now!!!  
Carrie - *grabs Aragorn and Legolas* Stop it!! You mustn't choke her till she's finished her story, understood? *edges backwards slowly* Well, what possessed me ... I don't know ... I was sitting in this _boring_ lecture and then I though "Hey, everybody has whips. What about a nice thick branch with THORNS on it??" and so, you see ... *grabs Carrie quickly* Don't hug him! Think of his back!! Hugging is BAD right now... LOL, Cornallar, the insult to Elvenkind?? You could say that... And Nólad has been his friend for millennia, he cannot turn his back on him now - and he doesn't think so differently about the matter itself, only about the methods - at least now. And I'm not afraid of the orc horde, Snikdul likes me. Her treehuggers, on the other hand... *shudders* Thanks a lot for reviewing!!  
  
**So tired ... need to go ... to sleep ... tired ... *g* Ah well, I should go to bed. *huggles all reviewers* Thanks so much!! Reviews really help me a lot!!**  
  
  
  
  



	14. Divide And Conquer

**Disclaimer: **For full disclaimer, please see chapter 1.  
  
  
**A/N:  
  
*grins evilly*  
Wow, Cornallar and Donyc are _really_ popular at the moment, aren't they? I have stopped counting the reviews that essentially said "Kill them slowly"... *g* It's understandable. They are evil, after all - but it's so much fun writing them!! I'm not normal, I know...  
  
Well, for those who didn't know already: On March 19th I'll go and visit ****some friends**** in good ol' England, and will stay for about a month.   
No, don't panick, and put down your weapons!! Now!!  
*swallows nervously* Okay, don't worry, I will not stop posting, and I'll try to finish the story before that date. At the very worst I'll have to take it with me and post when I'm there, but since I don't know if I'll have access to the 'net, I can't promise to update as frequently as I do now.  
It's just a friendly little warning, I hope to finish it before then. But hey, you never know, especially with these characters, they just refuse to shut up... *g*  
  
  
Okay, here is chapter 14, which has lots of Legolas and the twins. *Legolas fans do happy little dances*  
But ... well ... it's a bit of a cliffhanger ... I don't know what happened either ... you know Legolas, it's as if he's LOOKING for trouble ... *Legolas fans take out various weapons and advance angrily upon shaking author*  
  
*shrugs and grabs her pink earmuffs*  
Hey, it's sooo much fun to write cliffies!  
  
Have fun and review, please!  
  
  
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Chapter 14  
  
  
The bright sunlight that was only being amplified by the soft white blanket of snow that covered everything in sight caused Nólad to squint and almost wish for a nice, dark snowstorm. He quickly abandoned that thought though; while he would be fine by himself, a snowstorm this high up the mountains would prove disastrous for a lot of the humans. Not that he would feel particularly sorry for the _edain_, he thought, pulling his cloak a bit tighter around himself, but the horses had done nothing to deserve freezing to death or plummeting down a frozen mountainside.  
  
He took a quick glance behind him to make sure all the men were still following; after he'd nearly lost the last two of the column about an hour ago, he wasn't prepared to take that risk again.  
'Well,' he thought with a small grin as he turned back to keep an eye on the road, 'At least that incident has given me an excuse for sending that insufferable human to the back. Valar, sometimes I truly feel tempted to listen to Cornallar and have some 'fun' with Donyc. And somehow I'm sure he wouldn't last as long as the _dúnadan_ did.'  
  
These thoughts reminded him of the unconscious body he held up in front of him with his left arm, and he reached round to place his hand on the ranger's forehead. It was a little hot, but not alarmingly so. It had been almost unavoidable that the young human would get a slight infection, at least with the simple treatment the elf had been able to give him and without the rest his body needed.  
  
'That is not my problem,' he decided inwardly, 'As long as he survives, I don't care.'  
  
A second later he felt the unconscious man in front of him begin to stir. Nólad raised an eyebrow as he guided his horse around a sharp bend in the path; he was curious if the ranger would manage to stay awake for a longer period this time. Donyc and his men had succeeded in waking him this morning, but judging by the glazed look of his eyes he hadn't been really there. When they had hoisted him on top of the horse, the young human had uttered a small cry of pain and collapsed again, falling unconscious over the neck of the horse.   
They were really a weak race, humans.  
  
'Perhaps that's not really fair,' a more rational part of the fair haired elf commented when he heard a small moan and saw the human struggle to open his eyes, 'Donyc has probably hit him in the ribs again. That'd be just like him.'  
  
  
Aragorn's body was on fire. He didn't really know how, or why, but what he knew for certain was that every single fibre of his being hurt. Even his hair. He didn't know that one's hair _could_ hurt. After a while he sensed a jolting movement that seemed to increase the discomfort he was in considerably, and concentrated his jumbled thoughts on finding out what it was. His first thought was that the cave trolls behind his forehead had relocated and were banging him against a solid rock wall enthusiastically. He quickly abandoned that silly idea though, for it was clear that they were still busy smashing his brain to bits, supported by the dwarves who had apparently invited all their friends and family and had exchanged their pick-axes for sledgehammers.   
  
Remembering from experience that it would get better once he had managed to open his eyes, he struggled with his eyelids that determinedly refused to cooperate and finally managed to pry them open a bit. When the first stab of bright white light sliced through his brain, he hurriedly squeezed his eyes shut again as he fought down the nausea that rose inside him, deciding that for the first time in his life his eyelids had proven to have more common sense than the rest of him.   
  
Slowly more and more information managed to get past the dwarves and trolls through to his brain, and he found that he was apparently on horseback, which explained the jarring motions from earlier. There was something that kept him upright though, something that right now pressed down on his ribs, sending waves of pain up and down his chest. The pain in combination with the touch of someone on his ribs brought back blurred images of sneering faces and fists that smashed into him, accompanied by a blinding pain that seemed to consume every bit of his back…  
  
In an instant remembering what had happened, he jerked upright, adrenaline surging through his body and giving him enough strength to open his eyes and lift his head. What he had identified by now as an arm that was wrapped around him tensed and shifted slightly to keep him on the horse, tightening around his abused chest and sending a stab of pain through his ribcage that caused him to double over and moan in pain. Still intent on escaping, he tried to move his arms just to find them once again secured behind his back. Only now he noticed that this position made his right shoulder ache fiercely and that the weight of his arms and hands on the torn skin of his back did nothing to lessen the pain there.  
  
'Besides, I am cold. Elbereth, I have never felt so cold in my life! Oh, and hungry. But other than that, I am fine, thank you very much,' he thought ironically as he wriggled around, ignoring the pain and trying to get a look at the person's face that sat in the saddle behind him. The last thing he needed now was to be on a horse with Donyc.  
  
He relaxed a bit when he heard a soft elven voice in his ear.  
  
_"Naa sal', dúnadan. Uuma karna amin fain lle."_  
  
Obediently he stilled his movements, taking a good look at his surroundings. Now that he saw the stony terrain to his left and the bottomless chasm to his right, he suddenly wasn't so intent on getting off the horse as quickly as possible.  
He tried to find his voice, which sounded hoarse and weak, even to his own ears.  
  
"Where are we?" he asked in the grey tongue, both because he didn't want the men he had seen behind them to understand what he said and because it was easier right now to concentrate on the language of his childhood, considering that he felt as if he had angered a wizard and faced the consequences.  
  
"In the Misty Mountains, young one. Tomorrow evening we will have crossed them, and the day after that we will reach our destination," Nólad explained.  
  
"That is … not good," Aragorn mumbled softly, his mind going in circles.   
He wasn't sure what would happen once they got to wherever they were going, but he _was_ quite sure he didn't want to find out either. Taking a good look around, he counted the horses that rounded a fallen boulder behind them, suppressing a shiver when Donyc looked at him and gave him a grin, and frowned. Cornallar and four men were missing. Deciding that he could hardly worsen his situation by asking, he turned back to the fair haired elf.  
  
"Where are the others?"  
  
The elf behind him smiled slightly.  
"Inquisitive yet again, ranger? You _are_ stubborn, Donyc is correct there. Although he didn't quite put it in such … polite terms."  
  
"I can imagine," the young human said softly, wincing inwardly and closing his eyes against the not so faint echoes of the vivid pain he still felt when he remembered Donyc's face towards the end, when he had still refused to plead him to stop. He had been in too much agony then to even think clearly, let alone had enough air to say something, but he could still see the rage in the other man's eyes that shone brightly with the promise that he would make him beg, sooner or later.  
  
'And if he ever gets his hands on you again, he will pick up exactly where he left off,' the part of his brain Aragorn was beginning to loathe told him.  
  
"To answer your question: They have gone to meet with your_ ada_ . They will join us again in a few days, if everything goes according to plan," the elf explained patiently.  
  
Aragorn froze in fear, pondering the elf's words while fighting the panic that rose inside of him.   
'Well done. Now father is walking into a trap because of me, and I will not be able to warn him. That crazy elf is going to do Valar-know-what to him, and I can't help him. Had I only been swifter, or stealthier, then I would have managed to escape and would be well on my way home right now! I have failed him, once again…'  
  
Nólad noticed the way his arm was digging into the other's side and moved it slightly so it wouldn't press onto the human's ribs with every step the horse took. Watching the man take an easier breath, he said,  
  
"We have a long journey ahead of us, _dúnadan_. We will not stop till nightfall, if the humans can keep up, that is. Try to move as little as possible, I do not want to topple down the mountain because of you, nor do I want my bandages to tear. Understood?"  
  
Aragorn nodded slowly, the memories he had of last night – and he thanked the Valar they were few – making more sense now. He could remember waking up to a world of pain and darkness, and the face of Legolas, swimming in and out of focus, soothing him and telling him that everything would be alright. So it hadn't been Legolas after all, but he had already known that, for the first thing he had done after waking was to make sure if his friend was still with him, and Legolas would never have left him behind. He hadn't imagined things then last night, it had been Nólad, caring for his wounds.  
Inclining his head slightly to the fair haired elf, he said softly,  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"You are welcome, ranger," Nólad replied, taken aback, and to his surprise he found that he meant it.  
  
  
  
  
Elrohir sat next to the small fire they had kindled some time ago, staring into the dancing flames. His mind was completely absorbed in the play of the flames that licked at the dry wood, consuming the fuel greedily bit by bit. It was almost like a plague, the twin decided, spreading and never stopping until all it touched had been turned into cold grey ashes.   
At the sound of a soft rustling noise in the trees behind him he turned, expecting to see Legolas return from his turn to keep watch over the camp their father and his "guide" had pitched. When he could see nothing, he turned back to the fire, only to jump up in shock and grasp his knife when he saw a figure crouched in front of him.  
  
Drawing the dagger with his right, he was just about to challenge the creature and more than willing to cut its throat should it be necessary, he blinked and took a closer look at said creature that broke into a wide grin and started chuckling merrily. Wondering for a moment if anyone would believe him if he killed him now and claimed that had been an accident to be blamed to the fact that he had been startled later, he returned the blade to its sheath and dropped back to the ground, glaring at the being across the fire.  
  
"By the Valar, Legolas, will you stop that insane giggling already!" he exclaimed after a few seconds when the other elf showed no inclination to stop laughing any time soon.  
  
"I-I am sorry, m-my friend, but y-you should have s-s-seen the look on your f-face!" the elven prince gasped in between fits of laughter.  
  
The younger twin didn't look amused at all.  
"One of these days, my friend, you will find that someone will exercise less restraint than me and will kill you where you stand."  
  
Legolas didn't look too impressed at that threat.  
"Oh, I don't know, _mellonamin_. Celylith said just the same thing a short while ago, in exactly the same tone of voice I might add, and I'm still alive, am I not? Besides, killing a prince is considered high treason. "  
  
Elrohir mumbled something undistinguishable under his breath; all the prince was able to catch was "No, it isn't, not without any witnesses present" and "… proof that sometimes, crime _does_ pay".  
  
Aloud he said,   
"Now I see what happened to you on your way to Rivendell, my friend. You tried to sneak up on the goblins, and since they are not of our kind and not bound by our laws, they decided to do the rest of Arda a favour and get rid of you for us. Remind me to thank the survivors later… Really, Legolas, I thought you had outgrown that childish urge when you turned 2000!"  
  
The other elf shook his head, flicking a braid out of his face.  
"Nay, there are some things you never grow too old for!"  
  
Both of them turned serious again, staring into the flames. After a while the dark haired twin raised his head and looked at his friend.  
"Has anything happened while you were there? And, more importantly, did father sense you?"  
  
Legolas returned the gaze, raising an eyebrow in amusement.  
"I wouldn't be here if he had, would I? No, I would already be on my way to the Halls of Mandos to join my forefathers, trying to come up with a way to explain to my grandfather why Lord Elrond Peredhil had seen it fit to strangle me."  
  
Elrohir chuckled at that, turning serious rather quickly when he realized that getting strangled was a real possibility if his father detected their presence.  
"He wouldn't," he said weakly, his voice lacking any conviction whatsoever.   
  
The fair haired elf looked at him, raising the eyebrow even higher.   
One day, Elrohir decided grumpily, the brow would disappear into the prince's hairline, never to be seen again.  
  
"Very well, you are right. He would," he amended quickly. "And you left Elladan alone? Are you sure that was a good idea?"  
  
Legolas glowered at his companion as he remembered the little incident that had occured a few hours earlier. It was truly a miracle those two had survived their first millennium at all…  
  
_  
"I don't think this is a good idea," Legolas announced, watching his friends fidget in the trees next to his, once in a while sending a shower of golden leaves to the ground. The twins were more than capable in a tree, even if not to the same extent than wood-elves, but right now they appeared to be too nervous to sit still for even a minute. They shifted around, reminding the prince a lot of Estel when this high up a tree.  
  
While Elrohir ignored him and didn't take his eyes off the road their father would need to take, Elladan kept mumbling under his breath, something which he had done for the past two hours they had spent here, waiting for the Lord of Imladris to pass through.   
While normally any escort Lord Elrond could have brought with him wouldn't have known where they needed to hide themselves, the three young elves knew exactly which way the kidnappers would take. Or they hoped they did, thanks to the fact that Legolas had stumbled over the main group that had been heading into the direction of the Misty Mountains.   
So they had given the fork a wide berth to the north and had hidden here, a few leagues to the west, where they could watch the road and follow the elf lord and those who would accompany him.  
  
Actually, it was a rather good plan, were it not for the fact that the twins and especially Elladan couldn't keep still, too deep ran their worry for their brother and father.  
  
Sighing, Legolas turned to Elladan, finally losing his patience.  
"Alright, my friend, **what** is it?"  
  
Elladan turned to his friend after sending a fearful glance down into the direction of the road.  
"This cannot be normal!"  
  
That statement caught even his twin's attention.  
"What cannot be normal, brother? Hiding in a tree like highwaymen waiting for our own father to appear in an attempt to save our little brother from a crazy elf lord with a vendetta against said father? What do you mean, 'not normal'?"  
  
Ignoring his brother's attempts at sarcasm, the older twin brushed aside the words as invalid.  
"No, that's not what I meant, that's normal enough. But it cannot be normal that I'm sitting here and should be worried for Estel, and father, and for us if that Cornallar catches us, and all I can think of is what we will say if ada gets a hold of us!   
That cannot be normal! I mean, I would gladly face orcs, or trolls, or even an úlair or two, but to tell father that we, or let's say I, since he put the responsibility for the whole of Rivendell on me, have knowingly disobeyed his orders … No, I think death is much more desirable."  
  
That statement, in connection with the grave tone of Elladan's voice, caused the other two to burst into laughter, shaking the trees and causing them to shower their leaves.  
Once he had regained his breath somewhat, Legolas straightened up again, still holding onto the tree for support, and was just about to reply when his keen eyes came to rest on two figures that approached them, coming swiftly closer.  
  
"Hush, calm yourselves!" he hissed to his two friends. "They are coming! If they catch us because of you, I will shift all the blame on you and claim diplomatic immunity!"  
  
After a second he added, thoughtfully, "But I think it is normal, mellonamin. Everything is better than facing your own father having to admit that you disobeyed his orders!"  
_  
  
Legolas hid the grin that was threatening to show on his face. They _ had_ very nearly got caught by Lord Elrond, but he was sure the human had not noticed anything.  
He fell silent again, staring into the flames. After a while he heard his friend's soft voice, telling him,  
  
"You did the right thing, you know."  
  
The prince shook his head doubtfully.  
"I don't know, Elrohir. Your father asked me not to leave Rivendell, he told me to keep an eye on you and that he would be most displeased if I ripped open his stitches. He trusted me to keep my word, and I have broken it at the first opportunity that presented itself. Why do I always do that?" he asked, despair in his eyes. "Why do I always disappoint those who are dear to me? Aragorn, and my father, and your father, and…"  
  
His monologue was interrupted when his friend sighed loudly.  
"Please, _mellonamin_, not again! Elladan claimed he had talked with you about that! Very well then, let me repeat it once again: It – was – not – your – fault. _Nothing_ of this was your fault! If even I and Elladan have understood by now that we are not to blame for all this, then a prince like yourself should be more than capable of doing the same! Thanks to you we were able to follow them in the first place! And, concerning the word you have broken to my father: How are you feeling?"  
  
"What?" Legolas asked, perplexed.  
  
"How are you feeling? Does your side hurt? Have you ripped your stitches?"  
  
"Well, no, and thank you, it does not hurt much, but I don't see what…"  
  
"Excellent, that is dealt with then!" Elrohir interrupted him, not listening to his sounds of protest. "You feel well and you didn't rip your stitches. He won't be able to hold that against you. And the other thing: He told you to keep an eye on us, didn't he?"  
  
The prince nodded mutely, impressed by his friend's skill to reason himself out of anything.  
  
"Very good, my friend, so you did exactly what he told you to do! Since there was no way you could have stopped us, you did the only thing possible and accompanied us, in the hope of dissuading us or in the very least to make sure we don't get ourselves in trouble or do anything foolish."   
  
Elrohir frowned in thought, rethinking what he had just said.  
"No, that sounds a bit too exaggerated, we need to polish that up a bit…"  
  
With that the younger twin leaned back in thought, trying to come up with the perfect excuse for his friend should his father catch them.  
Legolas watched him for a while before he turned his attention back to the dying embers of the fire, shaking his head and wondering for a moment if it was not maybe a good thing that the twins didn't have control over Rivendell all by themselves.  
  
  
  
  
Elrond was watching the man closely, fully aware of the fact that this made the human feel extremely nervous. He had done nothing else for the past day, and even though it gave him a certain satisfaction to see the man squirm, it was not really productive. While they had been camping yesterday evening the elf lord had tried to get some information out of him by all means available to him, including the _look_ that tended to have some effect even on Glorfindel, but without success: The human kept silent as if Cornallar himself was sitting behind him, ready to cut his throat lest he made any attempts to speak.  
  
'Well, whatever has happened during the last few millennia, Cornallar certainly hasn't lost his ability to make an impression on people, especially humans. This one wouldn't tell me anything even if I threatened to cut him into little pieces and feed him to a bunch of orcs.'  
  
Elrond stifled a sigh and looked around himself, assessing if there was anyone nearing their position. They had stopped next to an old tree by the road a little more than three hours away from Amon Siril, and the man had informed him that his orders were to bring him here and wait for his employer to meet with them. The Lord of Rivendell shifted his gaze back onto the human, who hastily dropped his eyes and studied his dusty boots. Fighting down the anger and fear for the well being of his human son, he closed his eyes and leaned back against the tree trunk behind his back. Despite the man's assurances that Estel was fine, Elrond knew that this was a lie, or at least glossed over. He was sure that he had been truthful when he said that his human son was alive, but there had been a flicker in the human's eyes that belied any other statements he made about the young man's health.  
  
'Ilúvatar, please let him be alright! I could never forgive myself if something happened to him because of a vendetta against me that has its beginnings long before his last 38 ancestors were even born! I couldn't bear losing him so soon, and the consequences for all of Middle-Earth would be disastrous if Elendil's line ended now…'  
  
Elrond's musing were cut short when he heard the sounds of approaching horses, and he opened his eyes and got to his feet, startling the human who hadn't heard anything.  
The dark haired elf straightened himself and locked all his feelings, including the overwhelming worry he felt for his son into a remote corner of his mind in an attempt to concentrate on the present. He would _not _give Cornallar the satisfaction to see how much he suffered.  
  
Soon five horses came into view, and Elrond's eyes wandered quickly over the faces of four humans before locking onto the familiar face of his old advisor. He looked just the way he remembered, apart from the fact that he was not wearing the precious robes indicating his status as he had done in Imladris. But then again, they might prove to be a bit impractical when one was riding through Arda kidnapping people, Elrond told himself wryly.  
  
The horses stopped just in front of them, the humans hanging back a bit, eyeing the two elves warily. For a long time the two dark haired elves just stared at each other, grey eyes boring into dark ones. After a while the silence grew heavy, and finally, Cornallar opened his mouth to speak.  
  
"Lord Elrond," he nodded his head in mock respect, "Such a joy to see you after all this time."   
  
Elrond didn't respond to that, not being in the mood for any of the other elf's games.  
"Where is my son?" he asked, his voice cold enough to freeze the fires of Mount Doom.  
  
Cornallar, however, seemed to be quite unimpressed, for he laughed loudly and dismounted, his burning eyes not leaving Elrond's face.  
"Ah, you mean the little _edan_, I guess? He's not here, though I have to admit that he's quite resilient, for one of their kind. Stubborn, too."  
  
The Lord of Rivendell had to force himself not to step forward, take a hold of the other's tunic and shake him till he told him what he wanted to know.  
"What have you done to him?" he asked, his eyes darkening with the promise of instant death should anyone admit to having hurt the ranger.  
  
The dark haired elf grinned, a cold, amused grin that Elrond could remember only too well.  
"I? I have done nothing to him, _my lord_," he stressed the title mockingly. "I have left that to my dear friend Donyc, you know who he is? I'm sure our dear little prince has told you all about the men he encountered on his way to you. Well, Donyc has taken a certain dislike to your son, I'm afraid – he doesn't like to beg, does he?"  
  
Elrond clenched his teeth and took a step closer to Cornallar, hands balling to fists at his sides.  
"If you have harmed him, Cornallar, I swear by Eärendil's light that I will…"  
  
Cornallar's grin faded, the hatred etched on his face intensifying as he stepped closer until their faces were only inches apart.  
"Yes? You will do what?" he hissed tauntingly. "You have no power over me, o Master of Rivendell! You cannot order me around like you used to do in the past! _I_ am the one in control now, do not forget this! With one word I can make sure your beloved son dies a painful death and you can do nothing to prevent it! How does it feel to know someone else holds the life of your son in his hands and is about to crush it?"  
  
The Lord of Imladris took several deep breaths, trying to combat the hatred that was beginning to fill his whole being. He would make sure his former counsellor paid dearly for what he had done to Aragorn.  
  
"But you will not," he stated with more confidence in his voice than he really felt.  
  
Cornallar blinked at this statement, regaining his control somewhat.  
"How very perceptive of you!" he teased the elf lord, another smile spreading across his face. "No, _my lord_, I will indeed not, at least not yet. It would be cruel not to let you say goodbye to your little _edan_ , wouldn't it?"  
  
Turning away from the Elrond, he fixed his eyes on the human who had brought the other elf here and who dropped his eyes to the ground quickly, deciding that after this thing was over, he never wanted to see an elf again. Beautiful they might be, but that was no compensation for the rest of their habits, for example their attempts to burn holes into others with their eyes.  
  
"Are you being followed?" he asked the man, studying him closely.  
  
"No, sir, not that I know of," the human stated without raising his eyes. "He was alone when I came to meet with him, and I would have been able to see anyone for miles."  
  
"His weapons?" Cornallar inquired, knowing full well how much it irked the other elf to be spoken about as if he were a mindless object or a child.  
  
The man stepped closer to his employer and handed him the blades he had just removed from his horse's back, stepping back again quickly. Cornallar pulled the sword out of its sheath a few inches, admiring the craftsmanship. Turning back to Elrond, he gave him a humourless smile and asked,  
  
"You just had to take this one, hadn't you? Well, Gil-galad had a sense for beautiful weapons, that much I grant him. Such a pity he got himself killed, isn't it? I should probably feel honoured that my son has such illustrious company, shouldn't I?" he asked the other elf mockingly, watching with satisfaction as the Lord of Rivendell fought for composure when he heard the degrading comments about his dead friend and king.  
  
He stepped closer, drawing the blade and letting the bluish metal of the blade rest against Elrond's neck, drawing a little blood.  
"Let me make one thing clear, _my lord_: If you try to escape or get help, I will kill you and then your beloved human son. If you attack me or one of my men, exactly the same will happen. If you want to see him one last time, I advise you to do exactly as I say. Understood?" he asked, the hatred on his face distorting the fair features.  
  
Elrond nodded slowly, glaring back at him, oblivious to the steel that was still biting into his flesh.  
"Understood," he echoed, his eyes dark with hate.  
  
Cornallar wheeled on his heel, a look of disappointment flashing across his face, stowed Elrond's weapons away and mounted his horse, looking down on the other elf who hadn't moved an inch.  
"Well, after you,_ my lord_," he spat, motioning Elrond to mount his horse.  
  
Elrond complied and rode on into the direction of the Misty Mountains, encircled by the five humans and feeling Cornallar's heated gaze bore into his back, praying to Elbereth that he would arrive in time to somehow save his youngest son.  
  
  
  
  
The sounds of the forest quietened for the second time in less than an hour, but they didn't hush completely and the birds soon began their song anew, as if they tried to convince the slowly setting sun to linger above the horizon a little longer. Soon the reason for this short interruption of nature's song could be seen when three elves rode up the path that led through the little wood, two dark haired and resembling each other to the point of total identity while the other was as fair as the others were dark.  
One of the dark haired elves turned towards his identical companion, frowning at him.  
  
"And I still say, brother, that they behave too carelessly! They have been riding on like this ever since they met with each other, without sending out scouts or anything! From what I remember about Cornallar, he was one of the most intelligent advisors father ever had! It is not like him to act like this!"  
  
Before the other elf had time to reply, their fair haired companion spoke up, obviously intent on preventing an argument.  
"You are right, Elrohir, but we cannot get any closer without your father or Cornallar noticing anything. We are quite high up the mountains already, and in the open terrain it will get even worse. If my memory serves me right, we should shortly reach the abandoned mines, the ones we call Nogrodrim in Mirkwood. Have you ever been there?"  
  
His other companion interrupted him, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes.  
"No, Legolas, he has not, and neither have I. Have you? I did not know our Silvan brethren were so fond of caves! But then again, I seem to remember a friend of yours, who was it, Glónduil? He was wild about spiders, if I remember correctly…"  
  
"You do not, _mellonamin_," Legolas corrected him. "It is Celylith you speak of. And he is … a special case," he added with a smile. "But yes, I have been there, once, when I was an extremely foolish young elfling. I nearly broke my neck in there, it is a miracle I ever came out again!"  
  
"Let me guess: King Thranduil was not happy when he heard about it," his dark haired friend chuckled.  
  
"Fathers never are when you disobey them, are they, Elladan?" Elrohir added gloomily when the elven prince shook his head.  
  
"O Ilúvatar, stop it already!" Elladan snapped at his younger twin. "He won't find out, alright? And when he finally does, he will be too happy to see us alive to kill us! You start sounding like Erestor!"  
  
"What did he say?" Legolas asked, curiosity in his voice. He had wondered for the past day how Elladan had managed to convince Lord Elrond's chief advisor to actually let them go.  
  
"Oh, something like: 'Absolutely not, my lord, you cannot! Your father has told me where he is going, and he expressly wished for you to stay here! Think of your responsibility!'" Elladan managed to imitate the older elf's tone of voice so perfectly that his companions burst out laughing.  
  
"I told him that everything would be fine with him and the council looking after things, and that they should send word of what we were doing to Lórien to grandmother. There he grew quite … agitated, I'm afraid. I'm not sure what frightened him more: The prospect of having to tell _ada_ that he let us go, or to tell the Lady Galadriel that he lost her son-in-law and three of her grandchildren, and the only heir to the throne of Mirkwood. He was not happy, believe me!" the older twin recounted, starting to grin as well.  
  
Elrohir looked at his brother, raising a dark brow in question.  
"And how did you convince him to let us go?"  
  
At that Elladan looked quite uncomfortable and began to shift in his saddle.  
"Well, if you have to know … I ordered him. Since father had stated in no uncertain terms that I was to be considered Lord of Rivendell, there was nothing Erestor could do once I ordered him to let us go and stop wringing his hands."  
  
Elrohir closed his eyes and moaned, while Legolas was laughing so hard that he was almost sliding off his horse.  
"Elbereth, no! Father is going to kill us! You didn't say that to him, did you?"  
  
Before the older twin could answer, they rounded a bend in the road and reached a small clearing, on whose one side a dark, looming hole in the mountainside could be seen. To the left and right of it there were other openings, but smaller and not accessible anymore, rock slides had closed them off countless years ago.  
  
As if on cue the three reined in their horses, surveying the scene in front of them. Something was off, a feeling of concealed danger permeated the whole area.   
Legolas looked at his friends quickly.  
  
"Let us get off the path. There is something wrong he…"  
  
He never got to finish that sentence, since right at that moment an arrow whistled past his head and imbedded itself in the neck of Elrohir's horse, felling the shrieking animal in an instant and burying its rider under it as it fell.  
  
  
  
  
Elrond narrowed his eyes and decided to finally swallow his pride and ask. Since they had stopped an hour ago and the men had disappeared the way they had just come, he had been mentally debating if he should ask the other elf what was going on. Even though he didn't want to give him the satisfaction to hear him beg him for an answer, the feelings of dread that had taken up residence in the pit of his stomach demanded answers, now.  
  
"Where have they gone?" he asked, trying to keep his voice as neutral as possible.  
  
At the sound of his voice Cornallar looked up, a snide grin on his face.  
"Finally!", he exclaimed and rose to his feet, walking up to his horse and fiddling with his saddle bags. "And I was beginning to fear that you'd never ask! Well, they have gone to lay a little trap for your dear twin sons and their friend, the esteemed Prince of Mirkwood."  
  
Elrond just stared at him, his heart plummeting into his stomach with a frightening speed.  
  
Cornallar turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow in mock surprise.  
"What, you didn't know? They've been following us for the whole day. You didn't really think that they'd let their precious _ada_ leave to face the evil Cornallar all by himself, now did you? When I first set eyes on them I realized that they'd never leave their beloved little _edan_ behind."  
  
He walked up to the elf lord whose face had turned an almost ashen grey by now.  
"Well, you know the cave system of Nogrodrim, don't you? We passed it an hour ago, and right now they will do the same, or should I say, not quite? Because my men will be there, distracting them and driving them into the caves."  
  
Elrond blinked, his mind slowly grasping the concept that he was not about to loose one, but all three of his sons and Legolas as well.  
"No…" he whispered softly, desperately searching Cornallar's face for a sign that this was nothing but another cruel game of his.  
  
Cornallar grinned, relishing the pain he saw in the other elf's eyes.  
"Oh yes, _my lord_. And you know what the best part is? Two of the men I sent back were stonemasons down in the south before they had an … argument with some of the other workers. Something about stolen tools, I believe. However, these two have taken a look at the stones of the entrance when we passed the caves for the first time, and have prepared a little surprise for our three friends."  
  
The dark haired elf watched as the pain turned into anger and Elrond took a step forward, eyes blazing with fury.  
"You…" he growled and tried to lunge at Cornallar, who side-stepped him and turned around, sword appearing in his hand.  
  
"Well, come on, Lord Elrond," he told him, eyes shining with hatred, "Attack me! Even without weapons I believe you would be a formidable adversary, no doubts about that. But if you do, you condemn your little _edan_ to a slow and painful death. You cannot outride a carrier pigeon, and Donyc would be only too pleased if he were allowed to continue his 'conversation', as he calls it. The last one was not really satisfactory for him I'm afraid, as I said: The boy doesn't like to beg," the elf teased Elrond, watching as his whole face seemed to darken like the sky right before a storm breaks loose when he heard Cornallar's words.   
Before the elf lord could take another step forward, the other elf raised his blade a bit higher, pointing it right at Elrond's chest.  
  
"How does it feel? Choose, _my lord_! If you do something, you might overpower me and help your sons and the prince, but if you do that, you will condemn the ranger to certain death. What do you choose? How much are you willing to risk in this little game?" Cornallar asked scornfully, locking eyes with him.  
  
Elrond just stood still and glared at the other elf, feeling as if his heart was breaking in his chest, leaving him hopeless and weak. Perhaps it was breaking, he mused dazedly, no one should ask a parent to do such a thing. How could he make a choice? He shook his head, not really aware of his surroundings. He couldn't. He just could not figure out what to do. Whatever he did, he would lose Estel, or the twins.  
  
He closed his eyes, defeated. There was nothing he could do, nothing that would make a difference. As if his senses were dulled by a dark cloud, he felt the blade of the sword slide up against his cheek, carving a thin red line into the pale skin.   
He opened his eyes to look into the dark, burning eyes of Cornallar.   
  
"You lose, Peredhil."  
  
  
  
  
Legolas and Elladan watched stunned as the horse fell, before jumping into action quicker than one would have thought possible.  
  
"Elrohir!" his twin screamed and jumped off his own horse, trying to free his brother of the dying animal that lay across his chest, pinning him to the ground. Legolas followed suit and grabbed his bow, notching arrows and letting them fly into the direction the projectile had come from in rapid succession. Soon however he found that more arrows began to rain down on them from at least two more directions, making it hard for him to concentrate on the targets he couldn't even see.  
  
"Elladan!" he yelled as he loosened an arrow at a man who had hidden himself behind a large tree trunk, "Get him out of here and into the caves! We cannot stay here, they have us pinned down!"   
  
Elladan nodded and helped his dazed brother into the direction of the dark opening, trusting the elven prince cover them as they ran, his and Legolas' horse close behind. The elven prince retreated carefully into the direction of the cave, firing arrows once in a while when one of the men showed themselves. When he had reached the shelter, he suppressed the claustrophobic fears that welled up inside him and quickly made his way inside, looking for his friends. Elladan was just settling his twin who was still gasping for breath down onto the floor, mumbling soothingly under his breath, the horses, though clearly frightened, standing behind them. Legolas was just about to make his way over to them, when he heard the sound of the humans who were closing in on them.  
  
Sighing inwardly, he returned his bow to his back and drew his knives. If they wanted a fight they could have it; sweet Eru, he would teach them to kidnap and attack his friends!  
  
What he wasn't prepared for was the sound of rumbling stones as the men withdrew a few small wedges they had skilfully driven between the cracks above the entrance. The rumbling grew louder, and the elven prince who had frozen in fear when he had heard the groaning stone was sharply brought out of his thoughts when the first boulders began to fall all around him. Legolas tried to get deeper into the caves where he had left the twins, when the ground beneath his feet shifted and creaked, almost throwing him off balance.  
  
Through the chaos of falling stones and the billowing clouds of dust he thought he saw a figure try to make its way towards him and a voice cry his name when a sharp edged rock struck his head and he fell into darkness.  
  
  
  
  
  
**TBC...  
  
  
  
  
** _edain - humans, men (pl.)  
__dúnadan_ - _'Man of the West', ranger_  
_Naa sal', __dúnadan_ - _Be still, ranger_   
_Uuma karna amin fain lle - Don't make me drop you_  
_ada - father (daddy)_  
_mellonamin - my friend__  
úlair - Ringwraith  
edan - human, man (sg.)  
  
_  
  
**  
** ***cackles evilly* Mhahahaha! You didn't think I'd only hurt Aragorn, did you? No, I like hurting our dear elven prince as well!! *looks at Legolas fans who have dug up a cave troll somewhere and are coming after her* Hey, come on, it's only fun!! *turns to run away* Oh, if you want to find out what happens to our beloved elves and human, send me a review and I'll see what I can do! Please? Please Please Please??**  
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**Additional A/N:  
  
**Evil Strasse - *blinks* Uhm, okay, if that's 'verboten', I won't say it - especially because it would be "_Die_ Evil Strasse", it's female... *blinks again* Ah well. Whatever. I'm glad you liked it so much, two reviews! *grins happily* Reviews are great! Thanks so much!  
Tbiris - Suspense... Ah... *grins evilly* Well, it would be really boring otherwise, wouldn't it? Thanks for the review!  
Tao - *blinks* Well, you are a blood-thirsty one, aren't you? *grins* It's perfectly understandable... I'm not yet sure who kills whom in the end, but I'm thinking about it - and lots of pain and blood sounds about right!  
Stasia - Wow, huge review! Thanks! *huggles her* *points at her accusingly* I am NOT worse than C&S, that's nothing!! Do I need to remind you of this crazy uncle, what's his name, Doriflen, or their newest villain, Dryryn and and and... Besides, don't worry, why do you think I made sure Elrond is following them? I couldn't stand the thought of anything happening to his face!! *g* And I would never kill him ... I think ... *evil grin* And for the worst beating of his life: I don't think it will be his last in this story, but I'll think I won't give Donyc that much time again. So, not quite as bad, I guess... *g* Yeah, Estel's got quite a weird sense of humour. I think that's because I have this particular sense of humour, I wouldn't survive five minutes in that camp, I would have antagonized Donyc so much he'd have killed me already! Oh, and the torture was 'born' during a really boring lecture on Roman History. You can come up with a lot of good methods to hurt someone when you have to listen to that teacher! Thanks so very much for your great reviews, I'm very happy you like my story. Oh, and about Nólad: You can hope all you want, my friend. I'm not saying anything! *g*  
Alilacia - What, you don't like death threats? *clueless expression* There's nothing better than knowing that there are people you like your story so much that they are actually willing to 'kill' you to find out what's happening next - knowing that there's probably one kind of ocean or another between you and them helps, too... *g* Yeah, well, Elrond is a bit worries right now ... not thinking clearly ... all very hard on the poor elf ... Poor Estel, indeed. And poor Elrond - let's just say poor everybody, okay? It's easier. You managed to catch your own wargs? Impressive! The Insane One gave Fred to me - but she has a lot more, so you could just ask her if you need more... Thanks for all your reviews! *huggles her*  
DarkPhoenix - Okay okay okay, here's the next bit! Happy now? I am writing as fast as I can, honestly! But even I need seven or eight hours sleep once in a while, and I'm paiting my new flat and and and... *takes breath* Well, at least college's over for now, otherwise my head would have exploded a long time ago! *g*  
ThE iNsAnE oNe - LOL, we really have to get a therapist or Sigmund Freud to have a look at Legolas and Thranduil. I just don't know if that obsession with sticks and poking people is normal... *g* And you had just the right idea... *grabs Elrond's chainsaw (You'd better ask Zam about that!)* Where is your next chapter???? I mean, the second part of "Two Men ..." was nice enough *jumps up and down giggling insanely, which, in combination with the chainsaw, is NOT something you want to see*, but WHERE is ch3 of "Inside the Beast"? Hmm? Where??? Thanks a lot for reviewing and _don't_ forget the chainsaw... *g*  
CrazyLOTRFan - *blushes* Thanks! I'm glad you like it! Well, I'm thinking about the end right now, I'm writing ch17, and everything is slowly working towards it - but I'm not sure yet. We'll see. Thanks a lot for reviewing!  
Alexa - Well, to be honest, I wanted to put it in anway, but I wanted it to be a lot shorter. But because I knew how much you wanted to see Legolas/Elrond scenes, I wrote a longer one. Really. LOL, 'wicked worried'? Come on, nothing BAD happens to Legolas, it's just a little bang on the head, nothing more - among other things... *evil grin* And yes, you guessed right, I'm definitely an Aragorn fan. I like Legolas as well, but he is nothing compared to my favourite ranger - okay okay, in MY opinion! *ducks evil glare of death* Calm down, calm down... Anyway, thanks for the 'fantabulous' reviews!!  
Mouse - Ah, my friend, but you just assuming that they ARE in fact getting back home and that everything will be fine! Who said that? Mhahahaha! *runs off cackling evilly* I hope you'll like Elrond in this part as well, I find it quite hard to imagine what he would be like if _really_ furious... *takes M&M's* Thanks? What colour are they? I like blue best, and then yellow, I think... *g*  
Lotrmatrixstarwarsfan - Me? Sadistic!? You hurt me deeply, madam! How can you _say_ such a thing? Do you think I _liked_ writing that bit? Well, I did NOT! I was closing my eyes all the time because I couldn't stand it! *g* Well, let's say it that way: No. They aren't getting to Estel for a bit. But Cornallar has Elrond now to keep him company, so don't worry about Aragorn - worry about his father!! *evil grin*  
E - Happy now? Now Elrond has confronted his arch-enemy - but he hasn't killed him - yet. I'm not sure who will kill Cornallat in the end, but someone will, don't worry. But yes, I agree, he _must_ die. No ones hurts one of Elrond's children like that and lives to tell the tale! I hope you don't overreact again after this chapter - remember: Breath in ... breath out ... breath in ... breath out ... *g*  
Jadaa's Angel - Oh, thanks! I'm glad you like it! I'm updating as fast as I can! Thanks a lot for the reviews!  
Anonymous - Well, if you had shown a bit more patience and had actually read more than the first six pages out of 150 (now, ch 17), you would have found more action. Sorry.  
Kaeera - Ja ja ja, wer haette das bloss gedacht? Wo sie doch sonst immer so lieb sind und tun, was ihr Vater ihnen sagt... *g* Tja, ich nehme an, Elrond sagt da erst mal gar nix - das setzt nur den _look_. Und wenn Estel danach noch am Leben ist, kriegt er wahrscheinlich 'ne Standpauke. *g* LOL! Donyc & Co. mutieren zu kleinen quietschenden Zwergen! Ich gebe zu, das ist mal 'ne neue Vorstellung!! Und Euer Wunsch ist mir Befehl: Mehr Zwillinge in diesem und im naechsten Kapitel!  
Ciria - Yes, I agree, it would be horrible if PJ cut the twins out, but I have the bad feeling that he will. To be honest, they are not really essential, are they? *stares* Well, you know, that's exactly the kind of reasoning that Elrohir uses for Legolas. That's scary. You think just like him. *g* Nólad is from Eregion as well, like Cornallar. Where Seobryn hails from, you will find out in the next chapter, and Donyc: I dunno. I don't care, honestly. From a nameless human settlement somewhere to the south, I guess. Somewhere where they teach their children to become psychopaths. *g* Nólad has no secret motives, but he knows what his friend is planning to do. Which is - as you have already guessed - not good for Aragorn. Well, I'm afraid there's not so much of you fav elf in the next chapters, but I'll see what I can do. Thanks for the huge review!!!  
Marissa - O-kay, if I stop writing you will stop reading the story? We can't have that, can we? Here's the next bit! *g* Thanks a lot for the review!  
Miss Undastood - Well, frankly, no, I didn't put him in because of you. BUT I wrote a Aragorn-Seobryn scene for the next chapter, just for you. Happy now? This will have about 20-23 chapters, I think. Probably about 20, but you never know. Thanks a lot for revieweing, and I'll think about not killing your darling. THINK about it. *evil grin*  
Lina - *pats Lina's back carefully* Now, don't cry, Lina... I'm not angry ... I know you have lots to do ... riding around with Éomer takes time, I understand that... LINA!! Don't yell at me!! You know I can't stand that! I get terribly upset and then just something terrible happens! Just take yesterday, for example! I was _really_ upset because of something (I don't know what anymore *shrugs*), and I finished ch 15, and there was that scene with Addramyr and Aragorn and I just ... No. I won't tell you. It's too horrible. *evil grin* Don't worry, nothing bad happens. Really. Compared to what Donyc did it's nothing... Thanks for reviewing again! *hugs her*  
Zam - *giggles* Yes, Elladan as Lord of Imladris is quite scary, isn't it? Thank the Valar they left as well... Shhhh!! *looks around her* Don't let Lina hear that about Estel and the head! I don't think even Éomer would be able to hold her back... And the Atlantic wouldn't be a problem for her either, she'd swim if she had to in order to get me for killing "her Estel"... *shudders* LOL, a Darth Vader moment? "Snikdul, I am your father?" *falls off her chair laughing* Uh, Zam ... I don't think it was a good idea with the chainsaw... *watches Elrond who is running around giggling insanely brandishing the chainsaw* Nope, definitely not a good idea.... *g*  
Lizabeth - Uhm, okay, here you go! *g* Thanks for reviewing!  
Reginabean - Spring has arrived!!! Yay Nili!! We had 10°C here today! Can you believe that! No rain, or ice, or snow, nothing but glorious blue sky!! *does a happy dance* Yay!!!! *giggles* Pamphlets? You _have_ been busy... But you are right! I don't know who would be better suited for 'Secret Ally of the Year'! *holds up sign as well* Nólad for secret ally!! Nólad for secret ally!!  
Aurienia - *stares* You are really in France? Whoah!! *rubs her head* What do you mean? It isn't a relapse or something! I am just fine! I am torturing my favourite characters and annoying my readers to no end and feeling great!! *g* Well, the horse idea - don't ask me. Really. These things just keep popping into my head, it's real scary sometimes... And I think you are quite right there - Glorfindel _would_ probably have taken Elrond to the healers. And locked him in his rooms for the next few centuries. *gulps* Mad chimpanzees? Well, that's something I really want to see... But don't worry, I won't kill him - yet ... *evil cackle* Mhahahaha!!  
Lurker - *hands Lurker a cookie* Good guess, really! Of course Cornallar isn't so stupid to bring Estel, which is probably quite a good thing. Elrond would probablly get himself killed if he saw his son like this right now... Yes, I know, Elrond is acting a little bit strange here - but, uhm, yes, he's worried out of his mind. That's it. *g*  
TrustingFriendship - Owww, thanks! I'm glad you like it so much, that's always nice to hear! And don't worry, they will all get the change to get even with the kidnappers, sooner or later - hmm, later, I think... *g* Well, Estel should get some payback? Okay, then I'll have to stop beating him up. Dammit. *g*  
Firnsarnien - *stomps feet as well* Was not!! Not a real one, anyway! I mean, no one was in immediate mortal peril or falling off trees or getting attacked by mountain goblins or something!! *g* Yeah, well, Nólad is quite a nice guy, isn't he? I don't really know what to do with him, but I have an idea, and that's never good!! *cackles maniacally* But I'm glad you like him. Poor elf. *pats his head* Thanks for the review!  
ManuKu - Armes Wesen, du! Wie alt ist denn der Wurm? Alles jenseits von 2 ist dann wieder ertraeglich... *g* Tja, das mit dem Anketten hoert sich theoretisch nach einer guten Idee an, obwohl ich irgendwie glaube, dass es einen kleinen diplomatischen Zwischenfall geben koennte, wenn der Lord von Rivendell den Prinzen von Mirkwood ankettet... *fieses Grinsen* Na, freut mich doch, dass du die Szene mochtest! *froehliches Grinsen* Ich habe auch ein bisschen geseufzt, als ich sie geschrieben habe - aber sag's keinem weiter! *betet verzweifelt, dass hier keiner Deutsch kann*   
Arwen-Evenstar - Don't worry - I would never kill Estel! I wouldn't survive it, since I know lots of craz... uhm, I mean, rather obssessive fangirls who would come after me if I ever did... Dammit. *g* Thanks a lot for reviewing!  
AngelsofLight - Oh no - I don't use knives. I just ask my good friend Elrond and ... borrow his chainsaw!! *evil grin* Uhm, the blood on the tree was not from the tree! Nor from a squirrel. That was supposed to be Aragorn's blood, you know - he and being tied to that tree and ... but you knew that, didn't you? And since I don't want you to die: Here's the next chapter!  
Salara - 'Beruhigender Einfluss'?? Du erwartest wirklich einen beruhigenden Einfluss, wenn du mich zwingst, sechs Stunden lang "Sissi" zu gucken??? Du kannst von Glueck sprechen, dass ich noch nicht beschlossen habe, alle Charaktere und _ganz besonders_ Elrond einen langsamen und schmerzvollen Tod sterben zu lassen!!! Und dein Lieblingselb ist nicht leichtglaeubig, er glaubt nur keine Wahl zu haben, und da er denkt, es sei alles seine Schuld (was zu einem gewissen Punkt ja auch stimmt), geht er eben. Und die Qual ist - im Moment, da habe ich mich noch nicht zu schlimmerem entschlossen - eher psychisch. Aber auch da ist Cornallar ziemlich gut, das muss man ihm lassen... *g* Und ihr wollt hierdrauf mit 'vereinter Kreativitaet' reagieren? Na, dann mal gute Nacht... *g*  
  
***does a happy dance* Thanks so much! Every time I just want to go to bed instead of posting another chapter, I think of your lovely reviews and what you would do to me and I change my mind! *g***  
  
  



	15. Trapped

**Disclaimer: **For full disclaimer, please see chapter 1.  
  
  
**A/N:  
  
*looks at pointy objects she is being threatened with*  
Uhm, well, okay, I think you've made your point!! I will try to finish the story before I leave, but I can't make any promises. But right now it looks as if there are going to be about 21 chapters, so I should be able to finish it. Emphasis on 'should'... *g*  
  
*grins*  
The reviews seem to have focused on a new topic now, which could be summarized as "Make them pay!!". Well, I'll see what I can do!!! *evil grin*  
  
Very well, we've arrived at chapter 15, which is a miracle in itself, and quite surprising really, since I told my mother in the beginning "Nooooo, it will definitely _not_ have more than twelve chapters, don't worry, I will stop writing this 'weird' story soon..."  
Ah well, it is not MY fault when they just refuse to do what I say and start running into collapsing caves and stuff like that... *g*  
  
  
Have fun and a if you'd submit a review it would make me extraordinarily happy!!  
  
  
Oh, and ZAM KENOBI: The dwarf maidens are for you!!! *g*  
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Chapter 15  
  
  
Legolas was floating in a vast sea of white mist, or that was the closest he got to describing it later. A more reasonable part of his brain wondered briefly how it was possible to float on mist no matter what colour, but it soon fell silent again as his mind lost itself in the wonderful sense of peace that seemed to fill his whole being. There was no pain, no fears, only the faint memory of something that had happened not so long ago and that had appeared to be important. Ignoring that small flaw in the perfect happiness he was experiencing, the prince became aware after what felt like an eternity that some noises that seemed to come from a very long way away were beginning to invade his consciousness.  
  
He tried to take no notice of it, and that worked quite well for a while. But soon, the noises became more persistent, and he felt as if someone was tugging on his arm, which was very curious, for he was sure that he was alone in the mist. But then again, it was hard to see anything clearly in here, so it could be possible that someone else was here, he reasoned.  
Puzzled, he tried to concentrate on the faint sounds that were beginning to register in his comfortably numb brain.  
  
"Legolas … wake … you … please …"  
  
He grimaced mentally, wondering who it was that was calling out that name. And who it was he was talking about.   
  
'Well,' he decided, trying to sink back into the comfortable white mist, '"Legolas" should really wake up before the voice start yelling again.'  
He wasn't sure why, but he knew that he didn't want to wake up himself. No, it was much nicer to stay here and float on the beautiful white mist.  
  
He groaned as the voice grew louder, and this time Legolas could hear the worry in it.  
  
"Legolas, please … wake up now, _mellonamin_. Come on, open your eyes, you can do it! Stop being so stubborn and _wake up_!"   
  
The voice sounded annoyed now, something which the fair haired prince could understand only too well. Whoever that Legolas person was, he should really get up now, he decided. It was a mystery to him how he could still be asleep with all this racket that was going on. The tugging increased, and for the first time something else penetrated the shell that enveloped him: Pain. He groaned again. Couldn't this person just leave him alone?  
  
"My friend, please … you have to wake! I will not explain to Estel that you, you of all people, died in a cave-in! Come on, you stupid wood-elf, get up! I grow tired of this!" the voice spoke in an exasperated tone of voice, but Legolas was sure he could hear it tremble slightly.  
"If you do not open your eyes now, I will … burn your bow! Don't think I wouldn't!"  
  
Another voice spoke up which sounded very much like the first, though much more tired and, Legolas thought, pained.  
"That won't work, brother. He can't hear you. Besides, the bow is buried under about a ton of debris."  
  
"Hush yourself, Elladan, you need to rest. And he doesn't know that, does he? He _can_ hear me, he is just too stubborn to obey! Legolas! Wake!!" the first voice demanded once more, and something shook his shoulder again.  
  
Deciding that he had had enough, Legolas reluctantly left the white mist behind and struggled towards consciousness. Something the first voice had said had triggered something in his tired brain, a name … Estel …   
He knew that name, he thought frowning, trying to ignore the voices that seemed to grow louder by the second.  
The images of a dark haired young human appeared in his mind's eye, grey eyes sparkling as he called something. More and more images started to appear, swirling and mixing with each other, and Legolas began to remember that he indeed knew that man. Estel, Aragorn, Strider, his friend, foster son of Lord Elrond…  
  
Before he could remember what Aragorn had to do with all this, Legolas heard the voice again, calling that name. _His_ name, he realized with a start and winced inwardly as the pain in his body increased the more aware of his surroundings he became.  
  
"Legolas, please … you must wake now! We cannot stay here forever! I cannot carry all of you, please, wake up now … If not, I am sure that my father will be most displeased to hear that he has to notify King Thranduil of your untimely demise. You know how much he hates to write such letters…" Elrohir's voice begged again.  
  
'I'm trying, I'm trying!' Legolas thought and struggled to open his eyes. He remembered what the older twin had said about his bow a minute earlier and redoubled his efforts.   
'Please, Elbereth, let him be joking! Not my bow…'  
  
After a long time, he finally managed to pry open one eye, and waited patiently until it had adjusted to the low light that filtered through the dusty air before opening the second. The world swirled dangerously, and he had to take several deep breaths before his vision cleared and he looked up into the face of Elrohir who beamed down on him, sporting an enormous bruise that covered almost the whole area between chin and eye.  
  
"I knew you could do it if you only wanted to, _mellonamin_," he declared, a happy grin on his face. He turned to the side and addressed his brother.   
"See, brother, I told you so!"  
  
The disembodied voice of Elladan reached the prince's ears, sounding relieved beyond measure.  
"The bow," he said smugly, "_I_ told you so, Elrohir. It works every time."  
  
Legolas decided that he should end this before it developed into a full-fledged episode of twin bantering. He wasn't sure if his aching head could stand that.  
  
"What … happened?" he managed to croak, surprised himself how weak his voice sounded.  
  
Elrohir didn't answer as he produced a water skin and placed it at the prince's lips, raising his head with the other hand to help him drink.  
"Easy, Legolas, not so much."  
  
He took it away when his friend had drunk his fill and bedded his head back onto the folded cloak it had been resting on.  
  
"You can't remember?" Elladan asked from his position on the floor, leaning back against a large boulder that had been part of the ceiling just a few hours ago.  
  
Legolas shook his head, freezing instantly when a sharp pain lanced through his head. He closed his eyes and moaned softly, wondering for a moment if someone was sitting next to him and jamming a hot poker into his head, twisting it just for spite.  
No, he decided after the pain had subsided so that he could think relatively clearly again, not even Elrohir would do that.  
  
"Legolas?" he heard just mentioned twin ask, sharp worry in his voice.  
  
With an effort, the fair haired elf opened his eyes again and attempted to smile at his friend, who, if anything, looked even more alarmed. Smiling wasn't such a good idea, then.  
He reached up to touch his head, ignoring the pain that sudden motion was causing, frowning when his hand touched something soft. A bandage?  
  
"I am fine, my friend," he said when he saw the worried looks Elrohir shot his brother, whom Legolas had just spied behind Elrohir to the left, "The entrance collapsed, didn't it?"  
  
At that the younger twin broke into a huge grin.  
"Yes, Legolas, one could say so," he chuckled. "It collapsed on you, to be precise. I spent several hours digging you out, since that sluggard over there was too busy sleeping to be much help to me!"  
  
Elrohir's voice was light, but Legolas wasn't fooled for a second. The other elf was still badly shaken, and the fear he had felt for his brother and friend was still clearly visible in his eyes. He grabbed his friend's hand, pulling it back down and placing it gently on his bandaged chest.  
  
"Stop that," he said sternly, "You will ruin my wonderful bandages. No moving until I allow it, understood?"  
  
Legolas nodded, careful not to move his head too much, and asked himself dryly just when his friend had turned into Lord Elrond. He had even given him a milder version of the _look_.  
  
"Will I live?" he asked seriously, looking up at the younger twin, his eyes twinkling.  
  
Elrohir ignored his snickering brother and frowned.  
"I'm afraid so," he said, his voice grave. "Well, at least you won't be able to sneak up on us for some time!"  
  
Legolas laughed at that, but soon found that that wasn't such a good idea as the laughter turned into a coughing fit fairly quickly. Curling in on himself, he decided that he had at least two broken ribs, because right now he could feel the sharp edges grate into each other, sending bolts of pain through his chest.  
Finally the coughing subsided, and he lay back, gasping for breath and trembling slightly. A second later he felt how a cold wet cloth was placed on his forehead and a slender hand touched his cheek. He pried open his eyelids that felt unnaturally heavy again and saw Elrohir's face hover over his, concern in his eyes.  
  
"Try not to move too much, my friend," he told him, "You have broken at least three ribs, and I think one or two more a cracked. And that cut on your head was quite a nasty one as well. You woke up a lot later than Elladan."  
  
Automatically the prince's eyes strayed to the sitting form of the older twin, who sported a bandage identical to his.  
"I'm fine, Legolas, don't worry," Elladan told the other elf soothingly, "You are a lot worse off than me, believe me. We grew really concerned when you wouldn't wake up. And my dear brother isn't well either, even though he's trying to hide it," he added, sending his brother a scathing look that couldn't conceal the worry in his eyes.  
  
Elrohir rolled his eyes and sat back on his haunches.  
"I told you, brother, the shoulder is only bruised."  
  
Elladan laughed carefully, one hand moving to his head to steady it should it decide to fall off in the process.  
"Please, brother, don't try this look on me! Elbereth, 'only bruised'! I know a broken collarbone when I see one!"  
  
The younger twin scowled, taking the cloth Legolas had identified now as part of the other elf's cloak and wetting it again, replacing it on the fair haired elf's forehead.  
Legolas noticed that he didn't move his left arm as far as possible.  
  
"Very well, perhaps it's cracked," Elrohir amended, cutting off his brother's response when he added, "I was lucky I was so close to the wall, a few inches to the right and I would have been crushed – as you were, dear brother."  
  
"Well, somebody had to try and save the prince here from that little rockslide!" Elladan shot back, grinning at the two other elves.  
  
Legolas returned the grin weakly and asked indignantly,  
"'Little?' You call that 'little'? I would hate to see what you consider a 'large' one then … The humans have gone?" he added after a few seconds, recalling the last few moments he could remember clearly before everything disappeared in the chaos of dust and falling stones.  
  
Elrohir nodded.  
"We think so. We can't hear them anymore. Cornallar must have noticed something and sent them to trap us. With some success."  
  
"Some success? That's a mild way of putting it, brother!" Elladan spoke up, his aching head making him grumpy, "We are trapped in a cave, with limited supplies and without the ghost of a change to dig us out in time to save _ ada_ or Estel. That's some success, I'd say!"  
  
Only now did Legolas notice that what little light there was in the gloomy cave came from the faint glowing their elven bodies emitted in the dark.  
  
"Trapped? Are you sure?" he asked as he fought to keep his eyes open when sleep once again caught up with him.  
  
Elrohir smiled at his friend.  
"Rest, _mellonamin_," he said softly, "Sleep for a few hours to regain your strength. We will talk about everything later. Elladan and I will make sure nothing unfriendly disturbs your dreams."  
  
Legolas returned the smile, forcing his closing eyes open once more. It was a miracle humans could stand that, he though irritated, this eyes-sliding-closed-thing annoyed him to no end.  
  
"Wake me in a few hours," he demanded, his silver-blue eyes fixing on the younger twin, "We need to get moving quickly … Aragorn needs us …"  
  
The elven prince couldn't keep his eyes from closing again, and, this time, they stayed that way. Just before he lost consciousness again, he remembered that he had forgotten to ask Elladan about his bow. Desperately trying to fight his way back to awareness, he finally gave up and allowed himself to drift off into sleep, vowing to ask the older twin first of all the next time he awoke.  
  
Elrohir watched the other elf's breathing even out as he fell asleep and shot his twin brother a look that clearly stated that he would wake the fair haired elf the exact moment he thought him to be strong enough, not a minute earlier.  
  
"We will, Legolas, don't worry," he lied, before he moved over to the wall next to which they were resting, leaning back to watch over his brother and friend.  
  
  
  
  
They needed to stop. If they didn't stop soon, he would drop out of the saddle and Donyc and his men could scratch what was left of him off the cliffs a few hundred feet down to his right.   
If he hadn't been so exhausted, Aragorn would even have smiled at that thought. Everything that made the humans' lives a bit more uncomfortable was worth a thought.  
  
'No,' he thought as he tried to keep his eyes open, 'That would be a bit excessive, I think. Besides, I wouldn't be here to see their faces, and what would be the fun part, then?'  
  
At least he didn't have to steer his horse by himself this time, something which he actually welcomed for once, because he seriously doubted that he would have been able to anyway. In the morning his captors had decided that the horse that had been wounded during his escape attempt was strong enough to carry his weight, something which the ranger agreed with whole-heartedly, since he had lost quite a bit of weight in the past week. So he had been placed on the chestnut mare that had been tied to Nólad's horse in front of him with a length of rope and had been left to his own devices.  
  
They had been pressing on at a very fast pace, the humans and the elf were clearly intent on getting off the mountains as quickly as possible, and, once again, the weather aided them in their endeavour with blue sky and not a single snow flake in sight.   
They had stopped shortly only once at midday and already at that time Aragorn had felt ready to drop. His whole body hurt so much that he could barely keep in the moans of pain every time his horse stumbled slightly. He groaned inwardly and shifted in his saddle, causing his whole upper body to explode in pain. Wryly he wondered what hurt worse, his broken ribs and the bruises or the tears in his back. That was really hard to decide, he thought after a while, he would have to think about that for some time.   
  
While he was still pondering this, the elf in front of him stopped his horse and turned round to the humans that were following him, smiling slightly.  
  
"We have crossed the mountains, finally," he said, fixing his light grey eyes on Donyc who was riding just behind Aragorn, shooting the young human dark glares once in a while. "About a league away there is a small wood on a ledge, overlooking the Old Forest Road. We will camp there, if we post one or two guards we will see everything that comes our way for miles."  
  
Aragorn lifted his head at Nólad's words, scanning his dark surroundings. Even though he couldn't see much since the sun had disappeared behind a mountain peak an hour or so ago, he recognized the landscape. He had been here quite often, and he knew the ledge the elf was speaking of; he had camped there frequently with his brothers, or his father, or Legolas when they had been travelling to the High Pass.   
  
The ranger squeezed his eyes tightly shut when he thought of his friend and family. Even though he fought these felling, he was slowly losing hope that someone was coming for him at all. And even if someone was looking for him, what were their chances of finding him before it was too late and Cornallar killed him, or worse, killed him and his father as well?  
  
'Slim to none,' he thought dryly as his horse began moving once again, the jolting movements making his head ache fiercely once more. Clenching his teeth, he concentrated his entire strength on the goal of staying on top of his horse for the rest of the journey. Yesterday it hadn't been so bad, because he had slept for most of the day. After the conversation with Nólad he had fought unconsciousness for as long as he had been able to, which had proven to be not too long, and had drifted in and out of consciousness the whole day.  
In the morning he hadn't felt too bad, but that had changed soon, now that he had to compensate for every single unevenness or stumble of his horse himself, without the fair haired elf's arm that had kept him on the horse.  
  
Just when he felt that not even his pride would be able to keep him in the saddle any longer, they stopped, and Aragorn realized that they had indeed reached the wood. A fact that he would have noticed a long time ago, if he hadn't been so busy keeping his eyes from sliding shut.  
Nólad dismounted and grabbed the rope that connected his horse to that of the ranger, handing it to Addramyr who had just got off his horse as well.  
Turning to him, he said,  
  
"Here, get him off that horse before he falls off by himself."  
  
Giving the man a stern glare until he lowered his eyes and nodded, the fair haired elf fixed his eyes on the human commander.  
"If I could have a word with you, Master Human?" he asked politely and added, "The rest of you can pitch camp. We will stay here for the night and continue tomorrow morning. The horses need the rest."  
  
His eyes straying to the swaying figure of the young ranger, he added to himself, 'And not only them.'  
  
Donyc dismounted and nodded curtly, issuing some orders to his men and motioning for the elf to lead the way.  
  
After the two had disappeared into the darkness, the men started to make camp, some of them moving off into the shrubbery to gather firewood, others preparing to care for the horses and unloading the beasts. Satisfied that everything went smoothly, Donyc's second-in-command turned back to the young human in front of him, who truly looked ready to drop any second now.  
  
"Very well, ranger, you heard the elf. Get off!"  
  
Aragorn groaned inwardly, remembering the last time somebody had used these words. That time he had ended up lying sprawled in the mud after a knife's hilt had connected with his temple. Wincing when he thought of what another blow would do to his hurting head, he hurried to comply – or at least he tried to.   
Up to this time he had been of the opinion that it was a good thing that his body felt so frozen that he almost couldn't move it, which was not surprising when one considered that he no longer wore a shirt beneath his leather overcoat. The cold seemed to comfortably numb his back and hands that hurt from being locked in one and the same position behind his back for three days now, because his captors had stayed true to their word and hadn't untied him for a second after his escape attempt.  
  
'Well, now that fact is decidedly annoying,' Aragorn decided grumpily as he tried to swing his left leg over the horse's head to dismount, only to find that he couldn't move any of his extremities more than a few inches. Swallowing nervously when he looked down into Addramyr's impatient face, he tried again, once more without success.   
  
The dark blonde human looked up at him, scowling.  
"Are you trying to make this difficult again, boy?" he asked and grasped Aragorn's right arm, preparing to pull him off his horse.  
  
The young ranger moaned in pain when the arrow wound in his shoulder flared to life and his chest protested that sudden movement vehemently. Addramyr paid him no heed and, with the help of another man, dragged Aragorn off the horse and into the direction the camp was being made right now. The younger human desperately tried to get his feet under him to take the strain off his arms, but the frozen limbs wouldn't cooperate and so he was hauled across the grass to one of the trees.  
  
While the other man left again to get some rope, Addramyr cruelly pressed the other's injured back against the trunk, grinning as that action elicited another soft moan of pain from the ranger. Aragorn struggled to open his eyes and gave the other man a fiery glare that promised retribution in case he ever got out of this.  
  
"You know, ranger, normally I think that Donyc overdoes it a bit from time to time, but this time I agree whole-heartedly: It will be a pleasure to see you broken," the blonde human said in a friendly tone of voice, his ire rising as he watched the unbroken fire in the younger human's gaze.  
  
Aragorn licked his dry lips and said, his gleaming eyes not leaving the other's face,  
"I wouldn't count on that if I were you, _saurar_."  
  
Addramyr narrowed his eyes and before Aragorn could even comprehend what was happening, a fist connected with his cheek and slammed his head against the tree. While he waited for the pain and nausea to die down, Aragorn decided that his family had been right when they had told him two things.  
First, that one of these days he would get into real trouble because he couldn't keep his mouth shut.   
And second, as Elrond had told him so many times when he had struggled with Quenya grammar as a very young boy, you needn't speak another language to understand what was being said; it was the tone of voice that mattered.  
  
'Obviously Addramyr agrees with him on that,' he thought dazedly as he watched the angry human in front of him who was massaging his aching knuckles with his left.   
He wondered for an irrational moment if his body would give in before their hands hurt them too much for them to hit him anymore or if they would be forced to stop to let their hands heal a bit. He had to grin inwardly when he imagined the men with their hands covered in bandages, before the rational part of his mind helpfully supplied the fact that there were the elves as well, after all. _Their_ hands wouldn't be grazed so quickly.  
  
Donyc's second-in-command interrupted that rather fascinating contemplation as he grabbed the ranger's overcoat, pulling him closer.  
"And _I_ would hold my tongue if I were you, ranger," he growled, "And if I hear another word of elf speech again, you will regret it, believe me."  
  
The other man chose just this moment to return with a length of coiled rope under his arm, and so Aragorn was spared an answer, for which he was rather thankful. He really didn't want to antagonize the man further. When they were finished tying him to the tree, Addramyr gave the ropes one last tug, grinning as he saw the grimace of pain flash across his captive's face, and stood, giving him a mock bow.  
  
"Sweet dreams, ranger," he said teasingly and walked off, the other human on his heels.  
  
Aragorn let his head fall back against the tree and closed his eyes.  
'If they go on like this, they will have slapped all the wits I have still left out of me before this is over,' he thought dryly. 'But, according to Elrohir, that's not too much anyway.'  
  
Now that he was in fact resting, he found that he couldn't sleep. Worried thoughts and unconnected considerations chased themselves through his brain, so was the thought of what was happening to his father right now and if he worried for him as much as he did closely followed by a plan where he would go should he ever managed to escape so he wouldn't have to lay eyes onto another tree in his lifetime.   
  
Frowning slightly, he listened to the sounds the men were making while setting up camp and decided that his rather unstable state of mind was to blame on the slight infection that had set in. Nólad had told him something about it yesterday evening when he had checked his wounds, but since he had only been half-awake then, he couldn't remember what exactly that had been. He hadn't sounded too concerned though, but he never did, and why should the elf worry for him in the first place?   
  
With difficulty Aragorn opened his eyes again when he heard someone approach, and before his lids had even opened half way, he knew that it was Seobryn. The boy really seemed to step on every single twig he could find, the young ranger decided with a grin.  
  
Seobryn came closer, crouching down in front of him.  
"You are still awake?"  
  
Aragorn almost chuckled at that, only the thought of what his ribs would say about that kept him from doing so.  
"Yes, I am," he replied softly, giving the boy a smile.  
  
"That's good to see. I was afraid you would never wake after … that," the young man replied and averted his eyes.   
"The elf sent me," he added in a way of explanation, producing some bread and a water skin.  
  
He uncorked it and looked up at the bound human uncertainly.  
"I cannot untie you or anything, but…"  
  
Aragorn eyed him warily. He didn't like the idea of being fed at all, but since he hadn't eaten anything for longer than he could remember, he was more than ready put up with it in order to finally get some food. Besides, he was much too exhausted to be in mood to argue, and if he had to be fed by someone, he was glad it was Seobryn.   
  
"I would be most thankful for your help," he said, inclining his head.  
  
Seobryn nodded, obviously relieved, and sooner than anyone would have thought possible the bread had disappeared and the water skin was all but empty.  
  
"Thank you," Aragorn said quietly, leaning back against the trunk again, "I had almost forgotten what food looks like."  
  
The younger man looked down guiltily.  
"I'm sorry, but there is nothing more I can bring you. Donyc's orders…"  
  
The ranger leaned forward again, looking hard at the boy.  
"Then why are you following them? Is it because of the money? You are not like the rest of your companions, you have a kind heart, contrary to them. Where are your parents?"  
  
Seobryn lifted his head and looked at him with serious eyes, suddenly looking older than usual.  
"They are dead. They died when orcs attacked our village seven years ago. It is … it was located to the south, between the Brandywine and the Greyflood River. There were only three survivors."  
  
"I am sorry for your loss," Aragorn said after a small pause. "I know what it feels like to lose your parents. Mine died as well when I was very young. But didn't you have anyone to take you in, family or friends of your parents?"  
  
Seobryn laughed, but the mirth didn't reach his eyes.  
"Oh, yes, I did. Addramyr is my uncle."  
  
The young ranger lowered his head and nodded slowly. That made sense.  
"I see," he said softly and added after a while, "I am sorry."  
  
"Yes, ranger, so am I. Most of the time I feel very sorry for myself, but I have lived long enough to understand that we cannot change the lot fate has chosen for you, so I try to make the best of it."  
  
"Why don't you leave? Go and start a new life?"  
  
Seobryn laughed again, embittered this time.  
"And who would take me in? I haven't learned anything, I wouldn't be able to earn my living. Besides," his voice dropped to a whisper and looked behind him to make sure no one overheard their conversation, "My uncle is not an understanding man. He would feel betrayed and … and you don't want to see him when he feels betrayed, ranger."  
  
Aragorn grimaced, remembering the 'conversation' he had had only a few minutes ago with Addramyr himself.  
"No, I suppose not."  
  
"So I stay and feel sorry, for myself and for others," the young man concluded, rising to his feet to leave. Just before he turned and walked away, Aragorn heard him whisper, "I have no other choice."  
  
The ranger closed his eyes and relaxed as best as he could with his arms behind him and tied to a tree, too tired and in too much pain to argue with the boy.  
Just before sleep finally claimed him, he smiled sarcastically, realizing that he was by far not the only person here who found himself caught in a situation he didn't want to be in.  
  
  
  
  
When Legolas woke the next time, he felt a lot better than a few hours ago. But, he thought wryly as he wondered if he should try to open his eyes, that wasn't really hard, since that time he had felt as if a dozen trolls had tried to tenderize him for their evening meal by beating him repeatedly against a large tree trunk.  
  
'No,' he decided, stifling a moan when he tried to move, 'I feel definitely better. It were only half a dozen trolls, I think.'  
  
When he had just finished that thought, an impossible loud voice spoke up to his left.  
"Good morning, my prince!"  
  
Legolas groaned and stilled his movements, his hands straying to his hurting head. Why did Elrohir have to scream?  
  
"It is night, brother," another voice noted dryly, although thankfully a lot softer.  
  
"It was only a manner of speaking, Elladan," his twin muttered in an annoyed tone of voice, placing a cool hand on his friend's forehead.  
"Legolas? Are you awake? We need to leave; perhaps one of these tunnels will lead us out and we can follow _ada_ and the others."  
  
The elven prince opened his eyes and fixed his tired silver-blue gaze on the face of his friend that came into view after blurring slightly once. Wordlessly he nodded and stretched out a hand, which Elrohir took carefully, pulling him into a sitting position. Fighting against the pain and nausea that washed over him and desperately wishing that the room would stop spinning, Legolas said softly,  
  
"They will not."  
  
"Pardon me?" Elladan asked, carefully moving closer to them, leaning back against the wall, his face pale.  
  
"They will not lead us out," the fair haired elf explained, his voice stronger now that his body had accepted the fact that he wasn't going to listen to its complaints.  
"As I said, I have been here before, and the only two tunnels that would have led us back out collapsed a few centuries ago."  
  
The twins looked at him with identical looks of horror that made the prince chuckle.  
  
"And what, pray tell, is so funny about our predicament?" Elrohir asked astonished, eyeing his friend for signs that he might have been hit harder on the head than he had first thought. "I don't know about you wood-elves, but in Rivendell we do not enjoy being trapped in caves for any period of time!"  
  
Legolas stopped chuckling, even if more for the sake of his fiercely protesting ribs.  
"You are right, _mellonamin_, forgive me. I should have said: There is no way out on _this_ side of the mountains."  
  
At that the twins' expressions grew even more horror-stricken than before, something which he had thought hardly possible.  
  
Elrohir narrowed his eyes and sent the fair haired elf a suspicious glance.  
"What do you mean, on 'this side'?" he asked.  
  
Legolas shrugged indifferently.  
"Oh, well, I mean that there is a tunnel leading under the mountains to the other side. It should take us only two days to reach the eastern parts of the Misty Mountains."  
  
Elladan stared at him wide-eyed.  
"'Only two days'??" he repeated faintly. "Ah well, that's not too bad I guess…"  
  
Elrohir looked at both of them as if they had just announced that they had decided to marry a pair of dwarf maidens.  
"Are both of you insane? _Two days??_ How do you know that anyway, if I may ask?"  
  
Legolas eased himself up carefully, settling down next to the older twin.  
"I told you that I have been in here before, haven't I? Well, when I was about, well, I think 150 years old, I and a few of my friend had a little argument. One thing led to another, and in the end Glónduil dared me to come here and travel through Nogrodrim, from east to west. The other entrance is located at the very foot of the mountains, just a mile or so to north of the point where the Road climbs up the slopes."  
  
"And you did it?" the younger twin exclaimed incredulously.   
  
The fair haired prince had at least the decency to look a bit sheepish.  
"Well, as I said, I was young, and extremely foolish."  
  
"'Out of your mind' might be the term you are looking for," Elrohir muttered under his breath.  
  
Legolas ignored him and continued.  
"Well, to spare you the whole tale, I made it in two days. Those were the two longest and darkest days in my whole life, and I have vowed never to do it again. _Never_. I very nearly died in here, and I promised myself I would never again stay underground for longer than a few hours. I came out again, but frankly, I would not like to test the mountains for a second time."  
  
"Do we have another option?" Elladan asked carefully, dreading the answer.  
  
His friend looked shortly at the jumble of boulders and rocks that blocked the space where the entrance had been a few hours earlier and lowered his head.  
"Not that I can see," he whispered softly, claustrophobic memories washing over him.  
  
The twins looked at each other, coming to a silent agreement quickly. After all, Legolas was right. They didn't have any other choice if they wanted to cross the mountains in time.  
  
"Very well, we will follow your lead then," Elladan said and added, when the other elf's head shot up in surprise, "You are the only one who has ever been in here, or in such a position at all, _mellonamin_. During all our visits to grandmother and grandfather we have never travelled through Moria, not even before the dwarves deserted it, something which they should have done a long time ago, if you ask me. And, to be honest, I never wanted to see the inside of a mine, and I wouldn't have done it for a dare if you had promised me all the mithril in the world."  
  
Legolas studied his friend's solemn face for a moment before he nodded his agreement.  
"As you wish," he said. "But please, remember, it's been more than two thousand years since I have set foot in here, and I have done all I could to forget those two days – and the following years during which my father refused to let me leave the palace."  
  
He grinned at the brothers who looked a bit more at ease now that they knew they wouldn't have to spend the rest of their days on Arda wandering through a vast cave system.  
Turning seriously quite quickly, he asked,  
  
"What about our supplies? What do we still have left?"  
  
Elrohir shrugged, frowning as he counted on his fingers.  
"Limited water and supplies, but for two or three days it should be enough. Some healing herbs from Elladan's and my packs, two blankets, no spare clothes and no wood. The weapons we had with us and, oh yes, and your horse."  
  
"My horse?" Legolas asked happily, frowning when he started to remember something. Something which was connected with weapons …  
  
"Yes, I don't know how it managed to survive either. I guess it's just as stubborn as its master."  
  
The elven prince's frown deepened when he remembered what had been irking him since he had awoken.  
"My bow," he said, watching the faces of the two dark haired elves closely, "Where is it?"  
  
Elladan looked at him accusingly.  
"You were awake!"  
  
"No, not really," Legolas corrected impatiently, "You weren't serious when you said it was buried, were you? Were you??"   
  
Elrohir placed a comforting hand on the prince's shoulder, his bruised face twitching slightly.  
"I'm sorry, my friend. It was buried with you and I couldn't find it."  
  
"It has found a worthy end, my friend," the older twin chimed in, trying to keep himself from laughing, "In the hour of need it was lost to us, far too early, yes, but we will honour its memory and will forever keep it in our hearts. Never was there a stronger and more beautiful bow! Alas, why was it taken from us…"  
  
At this point Legolas had got to his feet and was trying – though swaying precariously - to push past the now snickering elf's brother to get to Elladan, anger on his face, but his eyes were twinkling playfully.  
"Careful, son of Elrond. You don't know what you're talking about."  
  
Elladan held up his hands, laughing helplessly.  
"Peace, Legolas! I am sorry, my friend. I truly am. I will gladly entrust you with my own bow for the time being. It's the only one we've got left anyway; Elrohir's is broken as well."  
  
Legolas glowered at the laughing twins, stifling his own laughter.  
"Very well then. If you two have calmed down, I would like to leave now. I will be looking after my horse, if you two feel strong enough to follow me, please feel free to do so."  
  
He turned and walked deeper into the caves, with one hand still grasping the stone wall for support as his body protested against the sudden movement. Suppressing a shudder of fear that raced through him when he thought of the journey that lay ahead of him, he told himself firmly to concentrate. The twins trusted him to find their way out of here, and if they did, they would even have a small head start on Lord Elrond and the others.  
  
'Ilúvatar, the things I do for that human,' he grumbled in mock exasperation as he rounded a bend and looked around for his horse, stopping shortly to regain his breath and give the cave the opportunity to stop spinning, 'He will wish I left him there once I catch up with them!'  
  
  
  
  
  
**TBC...**  
  
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_mellonamin - my friend  
ada - father (daddy)  
saurar - foul one  
  
  
  
  
_ ***giggles* I very nearly built in a Darth Vader moment here (something which you can blame on Zam, too! *g*), something like Donyc as Seobryn's father ("Seobryn****... *rattling breath* ... I am your father!"), at which point the poor boy would probably have thrown himself off the next tree! *g*  
Well, I don't feel so well right now, I think I'll just go to bed and die. You can express your condolences by submitting a nice little review, I'm sure my family will be touched. Besides, they MIGHT revive me so I can post the next bit soon. *coughs and groans* I doubt it, though...  
  
  
  
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**Additional A/N:  
  
**Arwen-Evenstar - Yeah, thanks, but somehow I have the sneaking suspicion that C&S are doing something similar in their newest story... *mumbles under her breath* It's not fair... Well, I'm glad you like Legolas torture as well, there is coming quite a lot in the next few chapters... *evil grin*  
Evil Strasse - I don't see why you are trying to learn it, it's an ugly and hard language to learn. Besides, it's spoken in only three countries, well perhaps in a few more, but only by minorities then. So why bother? But I'm impressed! As I said, it's not easy to learn - or so I've heard... *g* You don't stink at reviews!*pats her back* It is _always_ nice to hear what people think. Always. *nods head adamantly* Thanks for reviewing!  
AngelsofLight - *smiles nervously* I KNEW you knew that it was Aragorn's blood, I was just a bit confused, that's all... *g* Hey, and if you are born to say useless things, you have great company: Look at Legolas in TTT: Mr.Stating-the-obvious if there ever was one!! *runs away from angry Legolas fans* Hey!!! It's the truth!! *hugs her back* I'm glad you like it! *rereads review* You want me to burn your school? Uhm, okay, no problem, I'll send my balrog, he loves burning down stuff...  
Nightshade - Don't worry, I won't stop now! I couldn't - it's just the question how long it will take me to get the chapters out, that's all. Thanks for the review!!  
TrustingFriendship - Well, I don't actually enjoy inflicting pain one them, I only ... do?? Oh God, I need help!! *g* As I said, I will see what I can do about the "Make them suffer"-bit. But I agree with you, Cornallar and Donyc deserve to die a most horrible death. MOST horrible...  
Firnsarnien - *looks at Firnsarnien with her head between her knees* Oh, gosh, I had no idea you would react like that!!! Well, I hurried with the chapter, I really did, I'm just kinda busy right now, lots to do... Yeah, well, Nólad is probably not a happy elf right now, I don't think he'll get any happier though... *evil cackle* If you want to comfort our favourite elven prince, you may hug him - carefully!! Really, if his head falls off it's your fault!!! *g* Thanks so much for the long review!!  
Kirsten - Evil? Me?? You must confuse me with someone else... *g* I'm glad you enjoy it, hope you'll like the rest as well. Thanks for reviewing!  
Ripki - *giggles* A box of chocolates? Careful then, you never know what you're gonna get next... *g* *looks around triumphantly* Exactly!!! That's just what I thought! Why does poor Elrond always have to stay at home and worry? No, this time _they_ worry about _him_, that's only fair... Well, I have thought about a sequel or something, but I only have a vague idea. Perhaps I'll have enough time to think about it when I'm in England. We'll see... Thanks for the great review!!  
Miss Undastood - *hands her a new pen* Sorry. Here you are, more Seobryn, a whole lot of Seobryn in fact - don't kill me please?? *grins happily* I'm glad someone likes my sarcasm... Thanks!! *hugs her back*  
ThE iNsAnE oNe - Yeah, poor boys ... *gives struggling elves and human a big hug* Where ... *grabs chainsaw again and hisses* ... is your story?? Where?? I need it, it's mine, my own, my precious!! *hits herself over head* God, the Gollumitis again... *g*  
Marbienl - *whines* First TiO, now you!! Where is your story then? Post it, now!!! *grins* I'm glad you like it, even the torture, which I found very hard to write. Well, and Legolas will save him, but that's still three or four chapters in the future, I'm afraid... Thanks so much for the great review!!  
Ciria - 40 chapters? That would be terrible!! I absolutely refuse to out up with them for much longer, they are quite annoying... *g* So, no more than 22 chapters, I think...HP??? Yeah, sure I've read all four parts, but where is the connection? Is there a collapsing cave? *shrugs* I don't think so... Nólad-ish?? *giggles* Well, you really love him, don't you? Sorry, there's not much more of him in this chappie, but he's in the next! Promise!  
Sue - Well, I hope you liked the rest as well! Thanks a lot for letting me know!!  
Jenny - *shakes head* I am not cruel. I'm only a tiny bit sadistic ... hey, wait a sec, isn't that worse?? *g* Thanks for the review, and indeed, both of them have a knack of manoeuvering themselves into horrible situations... *g*  
Acacia - *bows* Yes, Legolas is quite smart, isn't he?? *pats his head* Cute little elfsie... You don't want more Legolas? Uhm, are you ill or something? I've certainly never heard that before... 'Your second favourite ranger'? Who is your favourite then?? And don't worry, he will get back to his _ ada_, in the end - which is still a few chapters away, sorry... *g*  
LeggyLover711 - Well, uhm ... I practice?? *evil cackle* I update as fast as posible, really!! Thanks for reviewing!!  
Aralondwen - *blushes* Owww, thank you... *grins evilly* 'The voices', huh? I know exactly what you speak of, mate, believe me!! *g*  
Mouse - *desperately jumping up to get to the M&Ms* Gimme that!!! See, I updated, they're MINE now!! *grabs bucket and runs off* Mhahahaha, all mine!!!! Yeah, I'm sorry about the cliffy (well, not really! *g*), but it's so much fun writing them!!! *starts eating M&Ms* You want some? Yes? Well, sorry, but they are mine!! Mhahaha!!  
Kaeera - *zerrt an Kaeera* Lass - ihn - los - sonst - werd - ich - gewalttaetig!!! Keine Sorge, deinem Elrohir passiert schon nix - nichts ernstes, auf jeden Fall... *g* Tja, in der Zukunft gibt es noch mehr Elrond-starrt-Entfuehrer-an-Szenen, was soll der arme denn auch anderes machen?? Na ja, hab deine neue Geschichte schon gesehen, gehe gleich hiernach noch hin und gucke sie mir an - wenn mein Koerper bis dahin beschlossen hat, nicht auf der Stelle den Geist aufzugeben! *schnueff*  
Reginabean - *walks up to the cliff, shaking her head* You and cliffs!! Really!! I _told_ it wasn't a good idea to hand out pamphlets here, but would you listen? No!! *looks down on her* Well, I'm not pulling you up again... *g*  
Aurienia - Never fear, I would never kill the dear Prince of Mirkwood! I am too afraid of what the countless fangirls would do to me... *grins* Yes, Elrond is quite ... upset, I'm afraid... but unfortunately, Cornallar is too insane to do what a normal person would and RUN AWAY! Idiot... *looks at her strangely* Gorillas which will infect me with deadly fleas ... okay ... if you say so ... *g* *takes some popcorn* Thanks!! I'm glad you like it so much!! *huggles her*  
Lina - *looks at Éomer, grinning nervously* Oh no, I'd never do _anything_ to our Estel, he'll be fine, honestly ... *crosses fingers behind her back* Don't you trust me?? Well, you see, nothing bad happened to Estel, he just got banged up a bit - happens all the time, don't ask me why ... *huggles Lina* Don't worry! You know I'd never permanently harm our baby!!  
Zam - SEE?? The dwarf maidens were for you!! Because your story which you DON'T UPDATE ANYMORE inspired me to write this!! You have to update!! *looks at Lina threateningly* That goes for you, too!! *shrieks indignantly* PORNALLAR?? I _told_ you not to use that name again, didn't I?? Well, that's enough, I've just sent my warg after you, that'll teach you!! *giggles* Raping the prince? Well, I suppose there's a law against that as well... Well, I hope to see the Lina-Aragorn-Soap-Opera soon!! I'll even review!!  
Analia - *blushes* Thanks so much for your kind words! I hope you'll enjoy the rest as well!! *looks at pointy objects* Don't even think about it!! I have a balrog and a warg which protect me!!  
Alexa - *nods* Yes, poor elfling... He doesn't like caves much, does he?? *pats her back* That's it, breathe in ... breathe out ... breathe in ... Don't worry, the twins WILL help him. Well, of course I listen to you guys! I'm a review-addict, so I have to keep you happy! Well, a bit at least... LOL, your new words are great! 'Stupiperful', that's something... *g*  
Cestari - Well, of course I say review in every chapter! They're what keeps me going, I _need_ them!! *hastily* Don't worry, they won't get captured, you can come down now ... come on, there's no need to do this ... *under her breath* Well, at least not now... I'm not sure yet who'll kill whom, but the evil ones will die!! *shakes fist* They deserve it!!  
E - *innocent smile* No, never.... Hurt the twins or Legolas? Me?? Well, I'm sorry they are still alive, but it would be kind of anticlimatic if they all just dropped dead, wouldn't it? Don't worry, I will not stop updating, it's only the question of how much time I have at my hands, which is never enough, I can assure you... *g*  
Mimi Fox - Don't worry, I would _never_ kill any of them!! Really!! I wouldn't dare... Thanks for the review!!  
Shakiya - *grins happpily* Thanks! I hope you enjoyed the rest as well!!  
ManuKu/Salara - So. Ihr glaubt also, ihr haettet meinen Balrog entfuehrt?! Glaubt ihr wirklich, ich waere so nachlaessig mit meinem Haustier? Haltet ihr mich wirklich fuer so dumm, dass ich solche Versuche nicht vorauszusehen wuesste?? Ich habe nicht hunderte von Todesdrohungen erhalten, um mich dann auf die faule Haut zu legen und nichts zu tun!! Guckt ihr doch noch einmal nach, ihr beiden Moechtegern-Kidnapper! (Hah, Cornallar wuerde sich ueber euch Amateure totlachen!!) Ist euch nicht aufgefallen, dass Stan ein wenig reglos ist? Irgendwie ausgestopft wirkt? Leblos? Kalt? Kein Feuer hat? Tja, ihr beiden, dass liegt daran, dass er ausgestopft IST!! Das, was ihr entfuehrt habt, ist nur 'Bålrog', die neuste Kuschelpuppe von Ikea, komplett mit Tongeraet und Nebelmaschine fuer Sound- und Raucheffekte!! Mhahahahah, wieder einmal bin ich siegreich!!! LOL, ich habe mich totgelacht!! Ich hoffe, ihr mochtet es trotzdem und habt viele schoene Ideen fuer neue Stories gesammelt... *g*  
Alilacia - Ohhhh, only two hours' sleep, poor you... *huggles Alilacia* Well, *shrugs* it's not a secret, I guess. My friends are living in Essex, just half an hour to both Cambridge and London. It's great there, beautiful and close to the Sea as well. *sighs* I love the Sea... LOL, well, I think there are a lot more people who would love to get their hands on Cornallar or Donyc! Yeah well, I'm beginning to think that wargs aren't as ferocious as they're said to be. Fred sr. (TiO kept Fre jr.) is a danger only to broccoli... *shrugs* Well, better than nothing, I guess...   
Angel - LOL, Saruman and Sauron!! That's just plain ... disgusting!!! Well, don't worry, I will not kill any of your babies!! Really! Yeah, okay, perhaps they get banged up a bit, but nothing more... Ohh, poor you!! Lost the story! I know how very frustrating this can be! But I'm glad you found it again... I'll have to stopa t your port? What id I take the PLANE, then??? *evil grin*  
Stasia - *grins* I know. Reviews are just the most perfect things in the world!! Well, I'm sorry, but they can't hear you! I can't have you warn them, it would be no fun at all... *evil grin* LOL, Estel is safe? Well, that's another way of putting it... *hands Stasia a big cookie* Well done! You are only the second person to notice!! Some of them are indeed chess terms, but, bzw, I don't play chess either, not much anyway. I have to look it up... Lack-of-storyitis?? Well, I'll do my best to prevent any such ailments... *g* Thanks for your great review, once again!  
Imbefaniel - Yeah, I read LOTR, The Hobbit and The Silmarillion in English, too. That's the reason why I'm writing this in English and not in German, I just cannot stand the German terms! I watched LOTR once (out of 14 times) in German, and I was laughing so hard that they very nearly threw me out! Hope your compurer is better now!! Thanks for reviewing!  
Bella - Okay - here you go! That was fast, wasn't it? We wouldn't want your classwork to suffer, after all... *g* Besides, I have the same problems with my professors - they never understand what I'm talking about... Hope you'll enjoy this as well!   
Tbiris - Yeah, that's what I have been trying to tell him as well, but would he listen? NO!! Just read on, most of it will be explained soon! Thanks for reviewing!!  
Larus - LOL! I have no idea what you're talking about though, I did not blackmail anybody! All I did was make a few comments here and a little promise there - is that blackmail? Yes? Ah well, okay then... *g* And don't worry, you have succeeded in making me blush! Thank you soooooo very much for saying all the nice things you just did! *huggles her* AEFAE?? LOL, what is it with you people?! Sometimes I think you have to have acronyms for everything!! Well, thanks again, and I'm very much looking forward to reading your next review!!  
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_**God, I feel awful, really awful ... I have to go now before my mother drags me off to bed, she's waiting right now with camomile tea. *grimaces in disgust* Ack! I hate that tea!*whines* Well, thank you for the great reviews, I'd hug you, but I think I'd infect you too, so I'll just go to bed...**  
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	16. Clinging To Hope

**Disclaimer: **For full disclaimer, please see chapter 1.   


**A/N:**

**Okay, okay, I'm back! I was ill, okay? Very ill! Besides, FF.net wouldn't let me post yesterday, I swear I tried...**

**Well, there's good news, and there's bad news ... I know, who'd have guessed ... *g***

**The good news is, I'm not sick anymore, which is great, because I was actually going insane here, stuck in bed and forced to take pills and drink tea and stuff.**   
**The bad news is that I have serious trouble with my internet connection. And I mean serious, as in My-God-I'm-gonna-kill-that-stupid-company-THUD-THUD-THUD (sounds of head connecting with screen)... _Serious_.**   
**That means that I won't be online for at least a week ... *thinks of her past experiences with said company* ... make that 10 days. On the bright side, I will have more time to finish my story this way. But then again, I won't be able to post it, so that doesn't really matter...**

**Calm down, I'll try not to keep you waiting for too long, right now I'm using my aunt's computer, but I won't be able to post every three or four days. I'm sorry. The next chapter will probably be here on Tuesday or Wednesday at the earliest, I think. I'll do what I can, I hope you understand.**

**Oh, and for those who demanded that Elrond arrives "NOW!" - uhm, sorry, but no? I know I'm horrible, and I should have thought about how long it takes to cross the mountains before I started this, but I didn't. It's my first story, so sue me... *g***   
**No one is getting to Estel till chapter 18 or 19.**

**Okay, enough gloom-and-doom, here is the next chapter with lots of annoyed elves, humans, mercenaries, rangers and ... horses.**

**Enjoy and review, please! I need all the cheering up I can possibly get right now!**   
**(Stupid computer! No internet for a week!! THUD THUD THUD!!!)**   
  


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Chapter 16   


Elrond tore his eyes away from his father's star to fix them on the man Cornallar had posted to keep watch over their little camp. When the man met the elf lord's fiery gaze, he shuffled nervously and got to his feet, deciding that he could fulfil his duties just as well from the other side of the little clearing. Somewhere where he wouldn't have to look at that elf. 

Even though he found it hard to tell with their kind, he was sure that he had never seen someone that angry before, not even their employer when the ranger had fallen off that tree and they had thought him dead. The dark haired elf lord's eyes seemed to literally burn with fury whenever he looked at one of the humans, and they darkened even further when they fixed onto the figure of the other elf. 

Elrond watched the man go and sighed inwardly as he returned his gaze to the stars, seeking out the twinkling form of Eärendil. Usually he would find peace when he looked at the stars, drawing comfort from their serene beauty, but today all they gave him were despair and pain. He closed his eyes and drew a shaking breath.   
Could Legolas and the twins see them right now? Or were they buried under countless rocks in a dark cave as the men claimed, eyes closed that would never open again? 

Shaking his head, he stopped himself right there. They were _not_ dead, and he refused to believe otherwise until he had seen their bodies. He just couldn't believe that they had been killed, he had to hold on to the hope that they had somehow managed to escape the trap Cornallar had set for them in order to remain sane. 

He sighed softly when he imagined what the news of Legolas' death would do to King Thranduil. Since the death of his wife the king had focused all his love on his only son, and if he should be killed… It would kill Legolas' father just as swiftly as a blade through his chest. Even though that would probably be more merciful.   
He refused to even imagine Celebrían's face when he finally joined her in the Undying Lands, bearing the news that their sons were dead. 

'Stop it,' he told himself firmly, 'You will have to do nothing of that sort, because they are _not dead_. But when I see them again, they will wish they were.' 

Sighing again, he decided that he had never before in his long life felt so strong an urge to be at two places at once. One part of him wanted to ride back and help his elven sons, while the other part was determined not to leave his former advisor's side until he had seen that Estel was alive and well. 

Folding his hands in front of him to stop himself from fidgeting, he surveyed the camp. The humans were asleep except for the one that was keeping watch, more to make sure that nothing unfriendly came close than to ensure that Elrond didn't try to escape. Cornallar knew him well enough to know that he would never endanger Estel's life by such an attempt. At the thought of the dark haired elf he felt hot fury wash over his senses once again. The memory of the way he had talked about what Donyc had done to his son made him automatically grasp for his empty sword belt at his side. 

'Elbereth, I will make sure they _both_ regret what they have done!' he thought heatedly, suddenly glad that Cornallar had left the camp some time ago. He wasn't sure if he would be able to refrain from doing something that would cause further harm to his human son, satisfying as it might be. 

He leaned back and took a deep breath, attempting to calm the swirling maelstrom of feelings that raged inside his chest. In secret he was deeply frightened by the intensity of the emotions he had seen in the other elf's eyes. The glazed, deadened look he remembered from their last encounter nearly 3000 years ago had given way to an absolute hatred that knew neither bounds nor reason, and the almost insane sparkle in the dark eyes told him that Cornallar wouldn't stop until either he himself or his adversary was dead.   
And, right now, that adversary was him, Elrond thought dryly. 

He stopped in thought when he heard the soft sounds of a slowly approaching elf that was drawing closer to where he sat leaned against a tree trunk. When the person behind him was only a few feet away, he said quietly, 

"You still need to learn how to sneak up on something, Cornallar." 

He didn't have to turn around to see the furious blush of the other elf's face. When they had still been on friendly terms with each other, they had always teased the dark haired elf about his inability to completely silence his steps. They had been a lot younger then, not so much older than the twins were now, and so much more carefree. 

Cornallar sneered at Elrond's back and replied venomously,   
"Well, _my lord_, for capturing your beloved _edan_ it was more than enough! 'Estel', indeed! What a very befitting name!" he added, sarcasm thick in his voice. 

Setting his jaw, the Lord of Rivendell got to his feet and turned slowly, his grey eyes that looked very much like the darkening sky before the breaking of a storm blazing.   
"Do not speak his name again, Cornallar. You have no right." 

The other elf laughed mockingly and took a step closer to Elrond, hatred on his features.   
"Oh, _my lord_, I have! Who if not me? And why shouldn't I say his name? Does it remind you of the fact that you are not in control right now? Not able to help him? That you failed him?" 

With effort Elrond unclenched his hands and banished the very attractive images that played in his mind. Most of them were about him closing said hands around the dark haired elf's throat, throttling until that snide grin disappeared from his face. 

"Why don't you leave him out of this? He has done nothing to you, he was not even born when the war started!" 

Cornallar's face darkened even more.   
"The war! The war you and your revered High King brought upon us!" 

"Ereinion Gil-galad was your king as well, if you like it or not," Elrond replied softly, barely restrained anger in his voice. 

"Yes, he was! Up to the moment when he decided to ally himself with _edain_ and other weak races like them and destroy everything I had left of my home in the process!" 

Elrond shook his head, the anger making way for pity and self-accusation.   
"I am sorry for your loss. I truly am. But Tinánd's death was nothing that could have been prevented. We didn't kn…" 

Before he could finish his sentence he felt himself being lifted off his feet and slammed into the nearby tree trunk, the impact stealing his breath away. He opened his eyes he hadn't even realized he had closed and looked into Cornallar's furious face before his attention was redirected to the razor sharp knife that was pressed against his throat. 

"Now _you_ listen! If you say my son's name once more, I will kill you, right now. And then I will return to my home and will personally make sure that there isn't left enough of your little ranger to pack into a saddle bag when I'm finished with him!" 

He pressed the knife a little harder against the other elf's throat, watching with satisfaction as blood began to flow. 

"And don't you dare claim you couldn't have known! It was you who gave the order! _You_, no one else! Not even Gil-galad, no, you, Peredhil! And it is fitting, isn't it? It is so much like you, Half-elf, to trust into the strength of men! You and Elendil insisted that it was enough, that the troop was strong enough! You should have known!" 

Elrond returned the gaze steadily, sadness stealing over his features.   
"But I did not. They took us by surprise, we had no intelligence on any orc movements in that area. And Elendil lost just as much as you did, don't forget that, Cornallar. Many good men died on that day." 

Cornallar's eyes seemed to flare up at that.   
"I don't care how many humans died! My son is dead! Dead because of your error of judgement, _Lord_ Elrond! And I fully intend to make sure you suffer like I do before I finally kill you." 

The Lord of Imladris had to stop himself from flinching away from the blade that was slowly digging into his flesh. He really hoped Cornallar had some self-control left; otherwise he would end up with a cut throat rather soon. 

"What do you plan to do then?" he asked, realizing sadly that there was nothing he could say or do that would make any difference. Cornallar had been telling himself the same things for nearly 3000 years, he would hardly start listening to the voice of reason now. 

The dark haired elf blinked once, as if for the first time noticing where he was. He took a deep breath, and Elrond could almost watch how he forced down the hatred that shone brightly in his eyes and regained his composure somewhat. When he opened his mouth to answer the elf lord's question, he was back to his mocking sarcasm. 

"Ah, it would be really boring if I told you that, wouldn't it? You'll see soon enough. It's no fun when you tell your opponent what your next moves will be, is it?" Cornallar asked teasingly, removing his knife from the other elf's throat and taking a step backwards. 

Elrond could barely refrain from reaching up to his neck where he could feel blood running freely. He took a step forward, renewed fury seemingly turning his grey eyes an almost black colour. 

"This is not a game, Cornallar! These are not pieces you can move and sacrifice as you please! They are living beings; Estel is a living being! This is not a friendly little game you play with a friend on a stormy night by the fire!" 

Cornallar gave him a cold smile.   
"That is the reason why you can't win, Peredhil. I have lost everything that was dear to me and I am ready to risk all I have. You are not. You have attached yourselves to weak pieces and are not willing to sacrifice even an insignificant one to attain your goals. You've grown soft. But, nevertheless, I will enjoy it while it lasts." 

The dark haired elf turned around and walked off, heading into the direction of the guard. When he was sure Cornallar had passed out of sight, Elrond gingerly touched the cut at his throat. It wasn't too deep, but bled as if his jugular veins had just been severed. By a blunt knife. Rummaging through his pack, he found a length of clean white cloth and pressed it against the cut, trying to stem the blood flow. 

Sighing softly, he leaned back, trying to come to terms with what his former advisor had just told him, watching helplessly as old memories of broken and bleeding bodies resurfaced, only to be overshadowed by new visions of the lifeless bodies of his sons that appeared in his mind's eye.   
  
  


Aragorn was awoken in the fashion he had got used to by now: Getting kicked by one of the men. In the beginning he had thought that they did this to make his life even more miserable, but now he had decided that they were just too lazy to bend down and shake him, judging by the bored look they wore whenever they did this. 

'But I'm not complaining,' he thought as he glared at the guard who had disturbed his rest by kicking his thigh, 'Shaking wouldn't be so good for my head right now. And for once, being tied to a tree isn't such a bad thing either. At least they can't kick me in the ribs in this position.' 

The guard grinned down on him, his eyes twinkling evilly. Aragorn had a sudden very vivid imagine of himself, banging this one over the head as well. 

"Good morning, ranger! Did you have a pleasant night? No breakfast for you, I'm afraid; we wouldn't want you to get any strange ideas, now would we?" 

The younger human scowled at the man, deciding that now wasn't the time to try out some of Legolas' more inventive dwarven curses. With his luck, the man would understand them. The twins had, after all, and they hadn't been too pleased that the prince taught their little brother expressions so horrifying that they upset even them. That had been after they had cornered said prince, trying to get him to teach them as well, of course. 

When it became clear that Aragorn was not about to answer, the man kicked him again for good measure and turned on his heel, disappearing into the direction of the camp. There was no reason to miss breakfast because of this troublesome prisoner. 

Watching the guard walk away, the ranger decided that he was beginning to hate the whole lot of them. In the beginning he had only loathed them, disgusted by their greed for money and their ruthlessness. Now that he had had time to watch their attitude for a while, he was slowly coming to the decision that the majority of them were hardly better than orcs. They were not only doing a job, they enjoyed making him suffer, just for spite, just like orcs did.   
Especially Donyc and Addramyr, of course. 

Aragorn suppressed the shiver of fear that seemed to race across his back every time he saw or thought of the human commander. He would never let that feeling show, of course, and he was firmly determined to rather die than actually beg Donyc for mercy, but that didn't mean that he wasn't afraid of what the man would come up with next. Judging by the nasty twinkle that could clearly be seen every time the other man looked at him, Donyc was very busy coming up with things he would do to him once Cornallar allowed him another hour with their captive. 

The thought of the dark haired elf did nothing to calm Aragorn's swirling emotions either. Very quickly Aragorn had decided that he was the most insane being he had had the misfortune to meet in his whole life. Cornallar would sacrifice everything he had to in order to get his revenge, and if that involved torturing him, the young human was sure that the elf would regard this as an added bonus. 

He closed his eyes as he fought down the fear and the pain that started to make itself felt again. Apparently, the night he had spent tied to the tree with his back pressing against the bark done nothing to accelerate the healing process there, and he was sure that the position his arms were in were not exactly helpful when it came to his shoulder wound either.   
His misery was only aggravated by the fact that he knew Cornallar would have met with Elrond by now. He felt a wave of fury wash over him, replacing some of the fear and guilt he felt. If he ever got out of here, he would make sure that the elf paid dearly for whatever he had done to his foster father. 

'Please, Ilúvatar, don't let him get hurt! This is my fault anyway, and if anything happened to him I would never again be able to look Elladan or Elrohir in the eye, knowing that _ada_ was harmed because of me!' 

His thoughts straying to his elven brothers, he fervently hoped that they and Legolas were alright and that Cornallar hadn't managed to capture them as well. Knowing them, they were probably already in some kind of trouble or other. 

Smiling slightly, he remembered the one time he, his father and the twins had been visiting Mirkwood, about a year ago. He had very vivid memories of his father's and King Thranduil's faces when they had dragged themselves back to the palace in the middle of the night, Elladan supporting Legolas who had been so exhausted that he had barely been able to convince the magically sealed doors to open for them. He and Elrohir hadn't looked much better either, the four of them looking as if they had just re-enacted the Battle of Five Armies. After hiring real orcs and wargs, of course. 

He could very clearly remember the look on his father's face when he had been lecturing them on how stupid it was to go hunting spiders all alone, at the dead of the night and without horses while he had been patching them up once more. That had been when Legolas' father had stated that, should all three sons of Elrond decide to visit them together once more, they would find that the doors would be closed and would stay that way until they had left his realm again. Every time, he claimed, Legolas and the three brothers got together, destruction would never be far behind.   
Later, when they had made their way to their rooms, Legolas still leaning heavily on Aragorn due to his bandaged leg, his friend had assured him that his father had been joking. Aragorn had looked at him suspiciously but had accepted his friend's words; he always found it quite hard to determine when the stern elven king was serious and when not. 

His eyes flew open when he heard the almost inaudible sounds of an approaching elf, sounds a normal human would never have noticed. But since he had grown up in Imladris and had quickly learned always to be on the look-out for the twins who in turn were always looking for unsuspecting victims on whom they could play their newest prank, he was more than capable of detecting an elf if he or she wasn't trying to sneak up on him. Then it got difficult even for him. 

As expected, it was Nólad who stopped just in front of him, a small pack in his hand. Opening the bag, the elf said teasingly, 

"I should have brought more supplies. You have managed to deplete mine in an amazingly short time." 

"Why don't you tell your lord that," Aragorn replied curtly, not really in the mood for conversation. 

Nólad studied the human in front of him before he crouched down quickly and drew a knife from his belt, moving closer. When he saw the silver eyes widen in alarm, he held up his hands and chuckled amusedly. 

"Don't worry, _dúnadan_, I will not harm you. I only want to cut that rope; right now it's impossible to have a look at you at all." 

The young human relaxed slightly, but his eyes didn't leave the dagger while the fair haired elf was cutting the ropes that were securing him to the tree. When the ropes came loose, Aragorn lifted his shoulders slightly, wincing when his numb hands rubbed against his lacerated back. Nólad returned the knife to his belt and opened the ranger's overcoat, preparing to check his injuries. 

Aragorn closed his eyes while the fair haired elf was working, trying not to let any of the pain the ministrations were causing show on his face.   
'Even though,' he thought , sucking in a deep breath when the elf touched the arrow wound gently, 'I don't think I'm doing such a good job at it.' 

The cold morning air made him shiver even more then he had done already, now that even his overcoat was removed, but he once again thanked the cold when the elf turned to work on his back, lifting his bound hands slightly to get a little bit more access to the weals that decorated his back. If his arms and back hadn't been numbed by the frigid air, he was sure he would have passed out on the spot. When Nólad wrapped the last set of his bandages around his chest, the young ranger noticed that the herbs he had used on him would scarcely help his body recover. From what he had seen, there had been two sorts of pain-reducing herbs that also had some anti-inflammatory qualities, but compared to athelas or even some other healing herbs every normal elf knew they would do little to speed up his body's healing process. 

While he was still contemplating if the elf simply didn't have any other plants or if Cornallar had given explicit orders concerning this, Nólad closed the overcoat, having noticed the way the human trembled both from the pain and the morning cold. 

"There, we wouldn't want you to catch a cold or something." 

Before Aragorn could stop himself, he asked sarcastically,   
"And why not? Not that I doubt that your kind hearts would surely bleed in such a case, but why put yourself to all this trouble? I don't understand! Why are you taking such care not to let me die when you are at the same time joyfully jumping at any opportunity to inflict as much pain as possible on me? It doesn't make sense! And why do you need me alive, anyway?" 

Had he been in less pain or had felt not quite as cold, worried, guilty or overall miserable, Aragorn would have noticed that this was not a very clever thing to say to his captor, but right now he just didn't care. 

Nólad's eyes seemed to darken at that, and it was now that the young human realized that he might have said something unwise. Mentally preparing himself for a blow to his face or something of that sort, he was surprised to see the elf merely take a step closer and crouch down again in front of him, looking at him with something akin to disappointment. 

"I had thought, ranger, that you knew by now that I am not like the _edain_ . As I said before, I do not relish other beings' pain, and especially not that of beings with elven blood. Besides, I consider all this unnecessary, but since I am not in command, I cannot change the way things are. My lord has ordered me to keep you alive until he joins us again, and I fully intend to carry out that order, and letting a foolish human like Donyc ruin everything because he cannot control his feelings is not what I have in mind." 

Aragorn looked at the elf with wide eyes, confusion still written on his features. 

"But what is he planning? What does he want to do with me and Elrond if he manages to capture him?" 

The fair haired elf looked at him, a look of sadness flickering across his face so quickly that Aragorn wasn't sure if he had seen it at all. 

"Oh, he will, young one, he will. I know your _ada_ well enough to know that he will do exactly as Cornallar asked. And for what he is planning … that is not for you to know. Not even I know all the details myself." 

The young human studied Nólad closely, deciding in an instant that the elf was lying.   
'Which is not a good thing,' he remarked inwardly, 'If he is unwilling to even tell me what Cornallar is planning, it can not be good.' 

The elf returned the assessing glance, taking in the pale face and still shivering frame of the ranger. 

"Take some rest. We will leave shortly." 

Aragorn narrowed his eyes as he resisted the temptation of telling the fair haired elf that he would love to if the men would only stop kicking him once he closed his eyes, and asked, as nonchalantly as possible, 

"Where to?" 

At that Nólad rose to his feet, giving him a slight smile.   
"Home, _dúnadan_, my home, that is. We will get there this afternoon, if the humans actually manage to follow without drowning in the Great River." 

Aragorn's mind spun crazily as he tried to process that information.   
Nólad was talking of the Anduin that flowed from its sources in the north, in the Grey Mountains, down all the way to the Bay of Belfalas in southern Gondor. The realm of Legolas' father lay to the east of the river, but patrols often travelled out of Mirkwood to the west, even beyond the banks of the Anduin, in pursuit of some foul beasts or, in regular intervals, just to inspect the area so close to their lands. 

A small spark of hope flickered to life inside his chest. If he was lucky, they would come across a patrol, and while he didn't know every single warrior of Mirkwood, he was known to a lot of them, and even if they should meet a group that was entirely unknown to him, it would be hard to explain why an elf travelled with a group of humans that had taken a ranger captive. 

His thoughts must have been visible on his face, for Nólad gave him an amused smile and squashed his hope as effectively as a troll's foot an insect that was not fast enough to escape. 

"No, young one, they will not be patrolling this area." 

Aragorn blinked, his confusion only increasing.   
"How do you know that?" he asked, not even pretending he didn't know what the elf was talking about. 

Indeed, how could he know? The patrols were decided by the king and his advisors, and they changed the schedule from time to time. If one wasn't a warrior of Mirkwood, the king or member of the council, it was virtually impossible to predict where and when a patrol would appear. 

Nólad smiled again at him, this time looking definitely smug.   
"I have my sources, _dúnadan_. You can take my word for it: There won't be any patrols travelling out of Mirkwood for the next four of five days. We should reach our destination without being seen by anybody, if we are lucky. Do not hope for discovery, ranger. There will be no one to see you." 

With that he turned and made his way over the dew covered meadow to the men, giving them orders to break camp as soon as they had finished breakfast. 

While he tried to come to terms with this new information, Aragorn noticed after a second that he had not been tied to the tree again, and tried to get to his feet in an instant, but before he had even straightened up let alone risen to his feet, a kick to his left leg let it collapse under him, throwing him backwards against the tree. Closing his eyes against the pain and silently vowing that he would not spare the humans' lives again should it come to a fight a second time, he heard the sneering voice of Donyc that sounded thoroughly pleased with his actions. 

"Ah, ranger, and just where are you going? You wouldn't leave us already, would you? It would be such a shame, since I have had time to think of so many things I want to … talk with you about." 

The younger human opened his eyes, piercing the man with a fierce silver gaze. It truly appeared that he could not escape his captors, not with Donyc and Nólad watching him the whole time.   
All he could do was try to cling to the slowly dying hope that his brothers and best friend were out there, looking for him. And that they would find him.   
  
  


Elrohir watched his twin and his friend with growing annoyance. He had suggested they take a rest about three times already, but both Elladan and Legolas were too stubborn to admit that they were exhausted. 

'As if it's not obvious to even the most unobservant person!' he thought irritated, brushing a strand of dark hair out of his eyes and wincing when he touched the bruise on his face that would probably reach spectacular dimensions in the next days. 'Elladan is looking pale enough to be confused with a ghost right now, and Legolas has stumbled so many times that I have stopped counting!' 

His thoughts were interrupted by the grumpy voice of his twin. 

"Admit it, Legolas, we are lost. I have seen that particular boulder at least three times." 

Elladan always got _very_ grumpy when he suffered from head wounds. 

The fair haired prince made a movement as if to shake his head, but froze in mid-motion and winced, a grimace of pain flashing over his face.   
"We are not, _mellonamin_. These tunnels merely look all the same." 

The older twin grumbled something under his breath that didn't sound too convinced, but continued to walk behind his friend, who in turn was leading his horse that was becoming more agitated with every step they took that led them deeper under the mountains.   
Before Elrohir could say something, his brother asked sarcastically, 

"And how do you know where you're going when they all look the same?" 

Legolas sighed and turned around, grasping the wall for support.   
"It was _your_ idea that I lead you, Elladan, not mine! If you have something constructive to say, then please, do so!" 

Deciding to act quickly before the two exhausted elves could say something they would surely regret later, the younger twin stepped forward, giving both of them a stern glare. 

"Enough! I have listened to your bickering long enough! You are both tired and in pain, and that is the reason why we are going to take a rest, right now! Understood?" 

Elladan and Legolas looked at each other, chagrined looks on their scratched faces, and nodded silently. 

When Elrohir took the horse's reins from his friend's hands and led it a bit farther on where the tunnel widened slightly so they would all be able to sit next to each other, he thought that this was the last proof he needed that both of them were feeling awful. They had complied without arguing and Legolas had allowed him to take the horse from him without even shooting him a withering look. They must feel horrible. 

When they reached the little hollow, Elrohir guided the horse to the far end before he stopped to turn back to his companions, whispering softly to the horse to stay here and rest for a while. Looking in the big dark eyes that blinked at him indignantly, the dark haired elf decided in an instant that he had never before seen such a cocky animal. The whole way it had looked at the twins as if it were contemplating kicking them when its master didn't pay attention. 

Giving the white horse the strongest version of the _look_ he could manage right now, he turned and walked back the short way that separated him from the other two elves, wondering how much longer the beast would stand being stuck in here before losing it. The once brightly gleaming white coat seemed to be lifeless and dull, and it was decidedly nervous and rebellious even towards Legolas. 

'The darkness is getting to it,' the younger twin decided and added, when his brother and friend came into view as he rounded a bend about twenty feet from where he had left the horse, 'But then again, I think the same could be said about us.' 

The other two elves looked indeed bedraggled and exhausted, but what worried Elrohir more was the fact that the soft white light both of their bodies emitted seemed faint and weak, as if the darkness and stone all around them were draining their strength right from the core of their being. 

Elrohir winced as the throbbing pain in his shoulder reached new levels and hugged his left arm to his chest. Putting aside the discomfort as best as he could, he stepped closer to them and let himself drop to the floor wearily, fumbling with the straps of the pack he had removed from the horse's back seconds earlier. Giving both of them a lop-sided grin, he asked cheerfully, 

"Alright, who wants to go first?" 

Both elves looked at him disbelievingly, an expression on their faces that spoke volumes for their experience never to volunteer for anything the younger twin offered. 

Elrohir gave them a hurt look and sighed loudly. 

"Very well, dear brother, it is you then. You are the oldest, after all, and since you are supposed to set a good example for us…" 

Elladan scowled at his younger brother, but before he could swat him, Elrohir cautiously drew back a few yards and added,   
"Besides, binding Legolas' wounds will take a lot longer. So stop looking at me like that and lean back." 

Deciding that there was no reasoning with his twin when he was obsessed by the idea that he was their father and acted exactly like him, Elladan resigned himself to his fate and complied, closing his eyes as his brother carefully unwrapped his head wound and covered the abrasion at his temple with ointment they had pilfered from Elrond's storeroom along with enough bandages and herbs to keep the healers of an entire town happy for several months. Gently brushing errant strands of dark hair out of his brother's face, he wrapped a clean bandage around his forehead and gave him a dazzling smile. 

"See? That's it. You are sure the wrist is only sprained?" he asked, the humourous tone not hiding the concern in his voice. 

Elladan hid an exasperated sigh and smiled at his younger brother.   
"Yes, brother, quite sure. I have broken it often enough to know the difference. Don't worry. I am fine. But," he added with an evil grin at Legolas, "I think the prince here requires your help. He looks extraordinarily weak, wouldn't you agree?" 

Legolas shot his friend a scathing glare that would have put Gandalf to shame on one of his best days and mumbled several highly insulting things under his breath, which the older twin chose to ignore for the moment. Perhaps Elrohir was right and he was a bit tired. 

His younger brother opened the elven prince's dusty and torn tunic and removed the bandages, for an elf with only one arm in working order rather skilfully, checking his friend's broken ribs and his old side wound.   
After a second he looked up at the fair haired elf, a grave expression on his face. 

"Well, _mellonamin_, there's good news and there's bad news. The good news is, the broken ribs don't look too bad. They should heal completely in a weak or two. The bad news is," he stopped and looked at Legolas with sad, serious eyes, "That you have torn _ada's_ stitches." 

Legolas closed his eyes and groaned, ignoring the twins' pearling laughter. Well, that did it. If Lord Elrond wouldn't have killed him before, then he would now. After giving him the _look_ , of course. 

"Don't worry, Legolas, if you are lucky he will think of the political consequences before doing anything rash," Elladan chuckled, his headache forgotten. 

While Elrohir was wrapping new bandages around his chest, the fair haired prince opened his eyes and grinned wickedly at both of them. 

"Yes, I have still a chance. But you two are doomed, I'm afraid. You disobeyed your father's explicit orders," he began to count on his hands, touching a finger for each argument, "Dragged me into all of this, were discovered, trapped in a cave, injured, forced to walk through said cave with a person as a guide who hasn't been there for millennia," at this point Legolas began to use his other hand, ignoring the fact that both brothers were blanching at his words, "And will in all likelihood be forced to fight goblins as well." 

Elrohir, who had been inspecting the long, ragged cut that adorned the side of his friend's head, froze in mid-motion, blinking slowly. 

"Goblins?" he asked in a soft voice, hoping against hope that Legolas had been joking or he had misunderstood what the prince had just said. 

Legolas gave him another grin, although it looked a lot more subdued this time. He could still remember the last time he had been here, and it was not an experience he wanted to repeat. 

"Yes, son of Elrond, goblins. You didn't think that these tunnels are man-made, did you?" 

Elrohir finished his ministrations and let his hand sink down, struggling to close the bag again.   
"Well, yes, I mean, the caves were mines once and…" 

Legolas leaned against the wall, prying his slowly closing eyes open again. He hurt a lot worse than he wanted to admit even to himself. 

"Yes, you are right there, the caves were used as mines once. Men used to mine gold here, I think, but that was long before I was born. They used the natural caves of Nogrodrim for that, and slowly extended the cave system when the mines had been exploited. But this tunnel was not built by humans, it is of a much newer date. It's barely two thousand years old." 

Elladan sighed impatiently.   
"Thank you so much for sharing this vital piece of information with us, but are you telling me that goblins dug this?" 

Legolas shrugged.   
"Yes." 

Elrohir stared at him.   
"You _are_ out of your mind! You travelled this orc-infested tunnels once before voluntarily? Knowing that there were goblins in here? And I always thought Estel dragged you into all those situations!" 

The fair haired prince ignored the other elf and leaned back, his eyes dropping once more.   
"I am sorry. If we are lucky, we won't meet anyone on our way, as far as I know they don't use this tunnel anymore. But it was the only way to make sure that we reach the eastern slopes in time to help Aragorn and your father…" 

The twins' faces grew serious again as they thought of their little brother and father. If they would have to fight their way through all the goblins ever spawned to get to them, they would do just that. 

It grew silent for a while before Elrohir lifted his head and asked hesitantly,   
"Do you think Estel's still…" 

Before he could finish that thought, Legolas' head shot up again, eyes hard and determined.   
"Of course he is! You know your brother, he is a fighter! He won't give in so easily, he will know we will come after them. Besides, Cornallar will not allow Donyc to kill him before your father has arrived." 

At the thought of the dark haired human Legolas' heart clenched in fury. He would make sure Donyc and Cornallar paid for what they had done to his human friend. If Lord Elrond did not kill him first, that was. 

Elladan gave his friend a pained smile and nodded, the fear for his little brother clearly visible in his eyes. 

"You are right, Legolas, I'm sure he is fine. They both are. They have to be." 

His voice had dropped to a mere whisper, but now the prince could almost see how the older twin steeled himself and repressed his emotions, lifting his head and pinning his brother with a stern look.   
"And now to you, brother." 

Elrohir started to protest, but his brother was having nothing of it and silenced him quickly.   
"Be quiet, Elrohir, and let me have a look at that shoulder. And you, Legolas, you should sleep for a while. We will not leave for a bit, we have covered a great distance already today. You need to rest." 

Too tired to protest, Legolas only nodded and leaned back against the cold stone wall, unable to prevent his eyelids from sliding shut again. He suppressed the evil memories this place evoked, memories of darkness, pain and, above all, the fear never to escape this stony prison, never again to set eyes on the stars or listen to the sweet song of singing birds.   
He shook his head slightly to get rid of the unwanted images that played in his mind and allowed himself to drift off to sleep, dreaming of green grass under the open sky and tall, dark trees of a forest through which he wandered with Aragorn and the twins in the moonlight.   
  
  
  
  


**TBC...**

  
  
  


_edan - human, man (sg.)_   
_edain - humans, men (pl.)_   
_ada - father (daddy)_   
_dúnadan_ - _'Man of the West', ranger_   
_mellonamin - my friend_   
  
  


***sighs* Poor elfsies. Poor Estel. Poor Elrond. Poor Everyone!! *evil grin***   
**Okay, in the next chapter (if I manage to post it at all, that is! *g*) there are going to be ... even more humans ... even more Cornallar ranting ... and a whole lot of trouble for our dear elven twins and Legolas - yeah, I know, no surprise there... *g***   
**Send me a review? Yes? Please? I really need them - first the flu, now this network-whatever, and tomorrow: Who knows? So please??**   
  


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**Additional A/N:**

Zam - I know, it's horrily annoying when you can 'see' the chapter but not read it... *grrrr* But hey, right now I can do neither! Ain't that great? *GRRRR* LOL, yeah, they must have little signs attached to their heads, saying 'Please hit here. Repeatedly. As often as you please. Have a nice day.' Poor babies... *huggles them* *grins happily* They are cute, huh? *pats Seobryn and Nólad* You sure you don't want to give Glónduil his clothes back? He might need them soon... *reads little preview* 'I'm going to make guest appearances in there as well' - why am I not surprised? *evil grin* Well, it sure sounds interesting! And you want to marry both Elladan and Legolas? Now wait a second! That's not fair, you cannot have both of them!!   
Evil Strasse - I know what you mean mate, it happens with C&S' stories all the time. It's driving me crazy!! But then again, I AM already crazy, so no danger there....*g* Well, as you can see, I didn't die, but it was a close thing for a day or two! *g* Okay, so maybe not _that_ bad, but they say on TV that about 30% of the population are infected with the flu... *grins evilly* At least I didn't have to suffer alone...   
Analia - Hmmm, medication? That's a _good_ idea, because I need some! Without internet for at least a week I'm gonna go nuts here! *blushes* Awww, thanks so much, I'm glad you like it! And don't worry, this one isn't a cliffhanger - even though the next one is... Oopps, I didn't say that out loud, did I?   
Lina - *watches Lina beat Addramyr to a bloody pulp* Go on girl, he is evil ... and I'm so glad you like Estel's curses - he and Legolas would be proud of you, of that I'm sure... *g* *grabs Lina's shirt* Éomer is right! Seobryn is going to play an important role yet! I need him and if you scare him he won't be able to do what he's supposed to do and Estel will DIE! *watches Éomer* I think now he's really offended, you shouldn't have bitten him... *g*   
ThE iNsAnE oNe - Ohhh, poor you - writer's block can be horrible! I've never had it, but hey, I have only two months experience in all this author business... And about ideas: Uhm, Legolas helps him? WHAT ABOUT THAT??? First he has to get worse and almost DIE of course... *evil cackle* You know, the usual... Yes, poor elflings and human - their heads really get banged around a lot, huh?   
Jambaby1963 - Oh, I'm glad you like it so much! But, as I said in the A/N, there won't be any buttkicking for a while yet. Well, they won't kick together yet, that is - but it's coming! Really! Just hold on a little longer! Thanks for reviewing!   
Alexa - *smiles* Thanks a lot for the tip, it didn't help though, I'm afraid. I was really unable to do much for five days. Bah, I hate being sick. *giggles evilly* Oh, yes, you are definitely right there - the worrying friends are always the most fun! And don't worry - *grips keyboard Agent Smith-style* They are not out yet. Not by a long shot...   
TrustingFriendship - Well, something good had to come out of all this, don't you think? But that's only if they manage to get out of there at all... *g* Yes, Estel can be quite stupid sometimes, huh? It's got to be a male thing - I don't get it either... Hmm, you are right, eventually Legolas will need a new bow, I didn't think about that ... Well, perhaps in the next story. We'll see...   
Firnsarnien - *puts hands over ears and starts humming loudly* I don't want to know! I don't want to know!! Oh, thanks so much, but 'believable' - I don't know, are you sure trolls do that with their meat? I didn't know really... LOL, only kidding! Well, I'm afraid you don't frighten me at all with your wargs, I have one myself, and a balrog, and a few nazgûl that live in my bathroom - don't ask, this time YOU don't want to know... *grins happily* Oh, somebody noticed! I always try to chose chapter titles that describe the situation of more than one 'group' - they are all trapped, aren't they? One way or another...   
Darkphoenix - *grins* Yeah, flu isn't so great, is it? Hates it, we does... Well, as I said, no Elrond-finding-Aragorn for a while yet, but he will, don't worry... And I'm already planning everybody's death, never fear ... painful, that's all I'm saying... *g*   
Mouse - An evil little vegemite? What the heck is a vegemite? If you're insulting me - and please feel free to do so, I don't mind - could you please use something I understand as well? *g* But I guess it's something ... evil? Sounds like veggie, somehow... *shrugs* Whatever. *sniffs* I know it's a little late, but *points at broken down computer and flu virus* it's THEIR fault!! Do I still get the M&Ms? Please??   
Jadaa's Angel - It wasn't a cliffy! That - was - no - cliffy - and - neither - is - this!!! Okay?? The next one is one though... *g* Thanks a lot for the review! I LOVE them!! I did mention that somewhere, didn't I? *clueless expression* I guess I did...   
Pessimistic Drip - I'm on your favourites list? *beams* Thanks!! *grins* Oh, no, repetition is definitely not a problem, there are things you can hear about a thousand times without getting tired of them. *beams even more* You like my sense of humour! Wow! I found someone! LOL, it's not that bad, but sometimes I could swear there are people you don't even know what the word sarcasm means... *shoots evil glare of death* What did you just say about my baby? The HUMAN? *g* But you are right, pointy ears are ... *sighs* Oh, and don't worry - you are not pathetic. Perhaps a perfectionist, yes, but not pathetic... Cornallar is pathetic! That's what he is!!!   
Miss Undastood - *grins* Hey, you are lucky, I wanted to make Donyc his uncle for a second! Addramyr is better than him, isn't he? Okay, now don't worry, I have decided to let him live. But don't tell enyone, okay? *tries to imagine hair* Well, it sounds ... interesting! Red, brown and red again? Not bad... *g*   
Ciria - *nods head* Yes, 22 is better, isn't it? I think it's going to be 22 chapter now, I managed to come up with enough stuff so it won't be 21. Somehow I though 21 would look stupid... *grins* Now I know what you mean! There are indeed pink earmuffs, when they plant the 'babies'... Uh, we don't have 'Shrovetide', but: Koelle Alaaf!! *grins stupidly* That's what they call in the south, they celebrate a big carnival there, a really big one. But since I am not living in the south, we didn't celebrate anything, we just watch TV and think how stupid and silly the southeners are... _But_ we eat something like donuts, filled with jams and stuff... *licks lips* Yummy. *g* Well, I'm sorry, but I can't answer either question, elves and bows... *shrugs* They are like that. Don't ask me why. Yupp, Nólad, but there's more Nólad in here! A lot more!! *grins* Yeah, Addramyr and Donyc have got to be from the same place! And sorry! But this update was as fast as possible, really!   
Kaeera - Aha! Auch noch mit hoechstwahrscheinlich verbotenen Substanzen hantieren! Das haben wir gerne!! Na ja, was auch immer drin war, geholfen hat's nicht - oder vielleicht schon, da Legolas mir den Tee weggetrunken hat als Rache fuer seinen Bogen... Er hat jedoch eine interessante lila Faerbung angenommen - war das Absicht?? *g* Ja, dass du Elrohir-Verletzungs-Geschichten magst ist mir auch schon aufgefallen, so ganz leicht... Nicht boese sein, wenn ich das naechste Kapitel nicht reviewe, aber ich und die Telekom hatten ein leichtes Missverstaendnis... Grrr....Telekom ... hasse ... Telekom ... *zuckt Schultern* Wer tut das nicht??   
CrazyLOTRfan - Sorry! No, Elrond is not nearly worried enough!!! Mhahahaha!! Besides, they still need three days to cross the Misty Mountains - stupid mountains, I know... *g* Thanks for reviewing!   
E - Well, I'm sorry, but you'll just _have_ to wait a little longer. As I said - nothing I can do before ch 18 or 19... Hmmm, Seobryn is too innocent? I didn't mean it that way, I mean, there is no way he can spent six or seven years with Donyc and Co. and still be innocent, but he's a good boy. But he didn't choose to join them, and that's the important thing, I think. More Estel? Let me think - he's in this one, and in the next, though not quite as much, and ... in all the others as well? That's enough? Yupp, poor little Estel, the twins and Legolas need a healer - but not yet! Things must get worse before they can get better! *evil cackle*   
AngelsofLight - *growls* No school? That's not fair! But hey, ma college starts again in mid-April, so I shouldn't complain... *g* But your plans sound very good... Ooops, Stan burned a church? He didn't mention that... I'll have to have a word with him about burning the wrong buildings... *shakes head* Balrogs...   
Belle - *grins sheepishly* I'm sorry? I was sick and then the computer broke down and and and... *takes a deep breath* I am sorry. I was delayed. (Ha! A Gandalf moment!!) Don't expect the new part before Tuesday, though! Make that Wednesday, I think... Sorry! And don't let your professors catch you!!   
Aurienia - *weeps* Yes, poor bow... Well, I'm not sure, but I don't think Cornallar knows about the tunnel, Legolas only knew because he had grown up there and has been there - something which a 'proper' elf would never have done, fortunately! Uh, the same height? In the movies they are, I think, and in the books Legolas will have been a bit taller, I guess, for Tolien said that elves are taller than men, but Aragorn was very tall for a human. Don't worry: More Cornallar and Elrond in this chapter, and a bit of rest for E/E/L as well...   
Imbefaniel - Well, now _my_ computer is broken! *hits it* Stupid thing!! I'm glad you like it though, that's something of a consolation... *g*   
Reginabean - Clever. Very clever. The tying-to-a-tree-thing, I mean... *looks at Reginabean who is still walking round her tree* Don't you think you should do this where there are more people around? What about Mirkwood? Or Rivendell? There are cliffs _and_ trees _and_ elves... *g*   
ManuKu - Danke der Nachfrage, es geht besser, dafuer jedoch haben die Telekom und ich einen kleinen Streit. Dummerweise sitzen die immer am laengeren Hebel, also: sicher fuer eine Woche kein Internet. Grrrrrr..... *kichert* Jajaja, das mit dem Bogen hab ich mir auch schon ueberlegt... Elben und ihre Boegen... Ruegen - ist doch die mit den Kalkfelsen, oder? Da war ich noch nie...Viel zu wenig von Aragorn? Das war fast ein Drittel! Mehr wird's so schnell nicht!! *g*   
Carrie - Uhm, don't worry ... *pats her back* ... I'm not angry or something ... But my story isn't depressing! Mhahahaha, 'what more can we do'? Don't tempt me, I will come up with something!! *grins* Yupp, poor Nólad. It's not easy being him, I guess... and you are right, I feel kinda sorry for Cornallar too, but he is an elf and should know better than this, so I am not... *grins happily* I am so glad you like it so much! But where is your next update? Huh?? Where???   
Tbiris - *narrows eyes suspiciously* And what would you to with Donyc?? I need him, you know, somebody has to kill him, I'm not yet sure who.. Thanks a lot for the reviews!!.   
Figwit - Yeah, I know, in the movie they say 'mellon-nîn'. The thing is, I have this one elvish dictionary which is far from perfect, I have noticed that a long time ago. But since I have started using this one and don't have time looking for another, I stick with 'mellonamin'. Do you know a better one? But I'm glad you like it! Thanks so much for reviewing!   
Salara - Mhahahahaha!! 'Die Aussichtslosigkeit von Aragorn's Lage ist kaum noch zu steigern'?? Na dann wart mal ab!! Du hast ja keine Ahnung!! Das haettest du nicht sagen sollen... *faengt an irre vor sich hin zu kichern* Pah, willst du mir erzaehlen, ich wuerde meinen eigenen Balrog nicht erkennen?? Da kann ich ja nur ganz muede lachen!! NEIN!!! Ihr wollt mich doch nicht wirklich da einbauen, oder?? Das waere grausam!! Na wartet nur, ich finde fuer euch beide auch noch einen Platz im Sequel, als was ganz fieses... Danke fuer die liebe review!!   
Stasia - *coughs* Yeah, thanks, I feel better now. A bit. *grins evilly* Legolas is obsessed with that bow, I'm telling you! Well, now it's gone, may it rest in peace... Well, what's the saying, boys will be boys? I don't get it either, men can be sooo stupid sometimes... Am I an only child? Hah, I wish! That's not really true, I love my sister and my brother, but sometimes they can be _so_ annoying! Yeah, well, Seobryn - I haven't decided what to do with him yet. So: Perhaps. Then again, perhaps not... *evil cackle* Uhm, okay, so I MIGHT be a little obsessed with trolls. A little? And I agree, cookies are excellent companions! *pats her cookies* I love them. *g* 

**Loooooong list, veeeeeerrrrrryyyy long list...**   
**Okay, I've got to go now, my aunt is looking positively annoyed now - she has been waiting for about two hours, so I can't blame her. *g* Thanks a lot for all the reviews, I love reeeeeeviiieeeeews (Goldmember style)!! *g***   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	17. Gathering Darkness

**Disclaimer: **For full disclaimer, please see chapter 1.  
  
  
**A/N:  
  
Wooohooooo!! I'm back!! *hugs her internet connection*   
  
You cannot imagine how happy I am, I had to spend ONE WEEK without internet access. One week!! *tragic sigh*  
Ah well, I managed, somehow, and have written a great many chapters - well, to be honest, two more, but that's beside the point. *g*  
  
I'm afraid there is absolutely no way I will be able to post all of this before I'm leaving, but I promise I will try to post there as soon as possible. One way or another, the last chapter will be posted in the next three weeks. Deal?  
  
Some of you asked how the heck Cornallar knows about the patrols and stuff. It is a very important question, but, unfortunately, a question that cannot be answered until chapter 19, I'm afraid. So, keep guessing and have a little more patience, okay? *evil grin*  
  
Very well, finally, and without further ado, I present chapter 17, in which Estel and his 'friends' reach their destination, Donyc proves to be even more stupid than we thought, Elrond goes on his own little guilt trip, we finally find out just WHY Cornallar hates Anárion, and, as mentioned before, our intrepid trio runs into trouble. A whole lot of trouble... *g*  
  
*shrugs*   
The usual, really.  
  
  
Have fun and review, then I might post the next part before I leave in a week!  
Thanks!!  
  
  
  
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Chapter 17  
  
  
"We're here."  
  
The softly spoken elvish words brought Aragorn out of the trance-like state he had spent the past few hours in. After the humans had broken camp they had made their way north, following a small path that ran between the Misty Mountains and the Great River, riding as fast as they could in an effort to get to their destination as quickly as possible.  
  
If Aragorn had thought he had hurt yesterday, he was soon set right as they seemed to fly across the country, causing every single bone in his body to scream in pain. He hadn't even known human bones could hurt like this, but every time his horse hit a stone or stumbled slightly, he found out that there were even more places in which one could hurt. Fiercely.  
  
In the beginning he had tried to stay alert and search for any signs that Nólad had been lying and that there was a Mirkwood patrol nearby, but after a few hours he had given up, concentrating on the nearly impossible task of not falling off his horse, which proved to become more difficult by the second. He was so focused on this that he didn't even notice that the path became stonier and even harder to make out, nor that they turned away from it after a few hours, following another one that led up the slopes of the mountains again, cleverly concealed by shrubbery and small woods.  
  
Under normal circumstances he would have been on the look-out for a chance to escape or would have at the very least been studying his surroundings closely, mapping the landscape in his mind to be able to find his way back later, but these were anything but normal circumstances. His body throbbed mercilessly, and he had soon decided that it was better to keep his eyes shut if he didn't want to aggravate his headache or the fact that the world seemed to blur together slightly once in a while.  
  
At the fair haired elf's words he lifted his head and opened his eyes, thankfully noting that the world stayed still as it was wont to do. He almost gasped at the sight that presented itself in front of his eyes: In the middle of stony mountain peaks and wild woods lay a small valley, partly hidden by tall, beautiful trees and undergrowth, but there were glades full of green grass dotted here and there, and on the far side there rose a smaller mountain peak that looked as if there were several darker spots on it whose nature Aragorn couldn't identify right away.  
  
The young ranger squinted and tried to follow the concealed path with his eyes; to him it seemed that the path was leading up right to the rock face, but it was hidden so expertly that even he couldn't say for sure. He shook his head slightly, astonished by the fact that there could exist something as beautiful as this valley in such an inhospitable environment.  
  
Tearing his eyes away from the valley, he asked Nólad,  
  
"We are where?"  
  
"Home," the elf replied, shifting his upper body to look at the human, a small smile on his face, "The home we built us after we left Imladris nearly 3000 years ago."   
  
A look of pain and sadness stole over his light grey eyes, as if in memory of events long past.  
Casting a look at the humans that were gathering behind them, the emotions disappeared as quickly as they had come.  
  
"Welcome to Eskadol, _dúnadan_." With a pointed look at Donyc, he added, "Let's see if your friends have already arrived, shall we?"   
  
The dark haired human returned the glance, confidence on his face.  
"They will be here, Master Elf, don't worry. My men know better than to let me wait."  
  
Nólad looked at the human commander, raising a mocking eyebrow.  
"We'll see," he said curtly and spurred his horse on, descending the steep slope that led down into the valley and pulling Aragorn's horse after him. Despite what he'd told the man, he firmly believed his words. He was sure Donyc's men knew indeed better than to disobey their commander, and he couldn't blame them.  
  
As the horses started to move again, the young ranger tilted to the side, but managed to regain his balance shortly before he actually dropped out of the saddle. They drew nearer and nearer to the rock face and he noted that the path was indeed leading up to it, winding and dodging jagged rocks that seemed to grow out of the earth like giant grey trees. Here and there he could see small wooden buildings that seemed to blend into their surroundings just like most elven buildings tended to, and even though they were made of untreated wood and bore no adornments, they were still beautiful and reminded him painfully of his home.  
  
Aragorn smiled softly when he remembered the day he had sat on the balcony railing with Elrohir, talking about Elladan's hair.   
'Valar, was that truly only ten days ago? It feels like a lifetime or two! I wonder if his hair's still green though…'   
  
His thoughts were interrupted when Nólad stopped his horse and prepared to dismount. The young human looked up and could very nearly not stop his jaw from dropping. His eyes growing wide, he bit down on his split lower lip in an attempt to stifle the laughter that rose inside of him.  
Shaking his head and closing his eyes, he chuckled inwardly.  
  
'Ah, Legolas, my friend, if you could see this!'  
  
At the sound of the fair haired elf's amused voice he opened his eyes again, scanning Nólad for signs that this was an elaborate joke of some kind.  
  
"Is there something funny you would like to share, young one?"  
  
Aragorn took a deep breath and answered, fumbling for words,  
  
"It's … it's a cave, isn't it?"  
  
Nólad took his eyes off the dark openings in the rock face and studied the young ranger closely, wondering for a moment if all of this had proven to have been too great a strain on the human's sanity and he was slowly losing it.  
  
"Yes, it is a cave. We only use the caverns closest to the rock face, and only two or three since there are only two of us left. Once you get used to it, it is actually quite a beautiful place to live, very much like the lower levels of the palace of Eryn Lasgalen, or Mirkwood as it is now called."  
  
Aragorn closed his eyes again and grinned broadly. This was priceless.   
'Just what I have been telling him since I first laid eyes on what they call the lower levels and the cellars! They _are_ caves, and now I have the proof that elves truly chose them as homes…'  
  
The elf watched the human's peculiar behaviour and decided that he really didn't want to know. He would never understand _edain_, he decided as he cut the rope that was connecting his horse to the ranger's, not even this one that was so much like an elf that it surprised him on a regular basis. He reached up and helped the man get off his horse, which caused the young human to hiss in pain and slump against him once his feet touched the ground, unable to support his weight on his own.  
  
Without much effort Nólad gripped his left arm and pulled him upright, unconsciously tightening his hold when Donyc stepped closer, an amused smile on his face when he looked at the swaying ranger.   
  
"Tired already, ranger?" he asked, receiving a withering glare from their captive who tried to straighten up and stand on his own, without much success however.  
  
Still smiling broadly, the human commander turned to the elf that looked at him with disgust hidden in the depths of his grey eyes, and added, gesturing behind him,  
  
"See, Master Elf, I told you so. They are here."  
  
The fair haired elf's eyes strayed behind the human where a group of about twenty men rode up to meet them, shouting greetings at the men already present. He turned back to the dark haired human, giving him an insincere smile.  
  
"I never doubted that, Master Human," he said, pulling the ranger upright who, despite his best efforts, was slowly tipping to the side again as his strength gave out, exhausted by the two days of travelling on horseback.  
  
Fixing a stern look on Donyc, he pushed Aragorn forward slightly, motioning a man to come closer and take the young man from him.  
"Have someone bring him up to the main cavern and make sure he doesn't get away. Your men can camp here, like the last time. Would you accompany me to your friends?"  
  
Donyc nodded and turned to the man, giving him and Addramyr a number of orders concerning the design of the camp. Taking Aragorn's arm from the other human, Donyc's second-in-command gave him a rough shove into the direction of the caves, leaning forwards and whispering something in his captive's ear so softly that not even Nólad could understand it, but obviously, the ranger could, for he stiffened and muttered something under his breath that earned him another hard push and a blow to his head that caused him to stumble heavily.  
  
The fair haired elf turned and followed Donyc to the men who had just arrived, wondering for a moment if the ranger was just stupid or had indeed a death wish, antagonizing the men the way he did.  
  
'No,' he told himself, patting a horse on his way that whinnied softly and looked after him sadly when he walked on, 'He isn't stupid. He knows that Cornallar doesn't intend to let him live, so what has he got to lose? Besides, I think it runs in the family. The way I remember him, Elendil was much the same when he was younger, as were his sons."  
  
The thought of Elendil's sons that had been dead for nearly 3000 years now, his heart once again clenched in fury and pain. Fighting off the unwanted memories of dead and broken bodies, bodies still fair and beautiful even in death, the bodies of people he had known and loved for centuries, he clenched his teeth and shook his head to calm himself as they neared the humans.  
  
'Perhaps he is right after all,' he told himself firmly, ignoring the small voice of protest that piped up at that, 'Perhaps these pictures will finally fade once he gets his revenge.'  
  
His mind still dwelled on this when Donyc stepped up to him, trailed by another man, apparently the leader of the humans who had just arrived.  
"Master Elf, let me introduce Gwaer. To him we owe the fact that the men got here that quickly."  
  
Nólad gave the man a slight nod before turning back to Donyc.  
"Their presence is much appreciated. Now that we have enough men at our command, I'd suggest you and I confer on where to post the guards. There are several strategic points all around the edges of this valley, and if we post sentinels there, it will be nearly impossible for anyone to get past the perimeter without us noticing."  
  
The humans nodded, and Donyc asked, slight confusion on his face,  
  
"Do you think there will be anyone coming for him?"  
  
He nodded into the direction Addramyr had taken Aragorn, a taunting twinkle in his dark eyes.  
  
The elf looked at him unbelievingly, silently adding stupidity to the ever growing lists of character traits he kept about the human commander.  
  
"If not for him, Master Human, they will be coming for the elf my lord is meeting with right now, of that you can be sure. I hope that whoever was surely following them has been … dissuaded from that course of action, but just in case they were not, I want to make sure that we know of their presence before they know of ours. Understood?"  
  
He gave both of them a glare that discouraged the men from asking any more questions in the very beginning.  
  
"Very well then. If you would follow me back to the caverns, we have a few maps there with whose help we can decide where to post your men."   
  
He turned on his heel and walked off into the direction of his home, musings on how his friend and Lord Elrond were doing. As he watched the dark, looming openings of the caves come closer, he tried to suppress the voices that echoed inside his head, shrieking and questioning if it was truly the right thing he was doing.  
  
  
  
  
The Lord of Rivendell watched the sun set over the Misty Mountains, turning the white, gleaming snow a soft pink colour, and wondered for the umpteenth time how it was possible that so many things had gone so very wrong in such short a time.   
He could hardly remember the morning when it had all started, the morning he had made the first mistake in a series of many more spectacular mistakes, the morning he had ordered his friend and advisor to go against his instincts and leave for Lothlórien.  
  
Dropping his eyes to the ground, Elrond shook his head softly, musing if perhaps everything would have been different if Glorfindel hadn't left when he had. Rarely had he felt that he needed his friend as urgently as now who masked his wisdom and understanding by a playful attitude and a merry laugh.  
  
'Oh, _mellonamin_, if I have ever needed you, now is the time! But I ordered you to go, blind as I was to what the future would bring. I pray to the Valar that you arrive safely, and are spared from this storm that seems so intent on destroying each and every one that was ever dear to me.'  
  
He shook his head again as he contemplated if he should return to the camp the men had pitched a few hundred feet to his right, or if he should just stay here, watch the sunset and dwell on old doubts that the encounter with Cornallar had brought back to life.   
He hadn't thought about that unfortunate battle for a long time, a very long time, for after a while, when the first pain and shock had abated, he had been convinced that there really hadn't been anything that he or the last King of Arnor and Gondor could have done to save the squad of elven and human warriors. Nobody could have known that it had been an ambush, that the orcs had been waiting for them, attracted by the standards the men bore…  
  
'Are you so sure about that?' another part of his mind whispered, sounding astonishingly like his former advisor, 'Who was the one gifted with foresight, Peredhil? You or Elendil? He couldn't have known, he was never exceptionally gifted in that particular skill, unlike others of the royal line of Númenor, but you, you could have known. You_ should_ have known. And you did.'  
  
Elrond let himself sink down onto a small boulder that lay at the very top of the little rise that overlooked the glorious landscape of the mountains, staring into nothing, oblivious to the beautiful scenery or the biting chill of the wind.  
  
Yes, somehow, he had known. He had had a very bad feeling when the troop had left, he had known that something wasn't right.  
  
'Just like with Estel. You knew there was something wrong, you knew something was going to happen, and still you let him go. Why is that, o mighty Lord of Imladris? The Valar haven't gifted you with this only to have you ignore every single warning you receive. You failed them, your sons, Legolas and so many others…'  
  
He was fast approaching the point at which the despair threatened to swallow him whole, but just short of that an image appeared in front of his eyes, shimmering in the cold air: The picture of his wife, his beloved Celebrían, smiling at him and telling him that he was a fool to burden himself with the guilt of all of Arda, blaming himself for things that had been far out of his control, that not even he could have prevented.   
He smiled sadly when he could almost see the beautiful mischievous sparkle in her eyes he had adored so much whenever she told him to stop worrying and take a walk with her instead. A sparkle, he noted dryly, that he saw far too often in his sons' eyes of late. All three of them.  
  
Elrond shook himself slightly and took a deep breath. Celebrían had been right, as usual. As had Elrohir, for that matter; sometimes it made his heart ache how much the twins took after their mother. He might have had a vague foreboding that fateful day 3000 years ago, but, then again, he had had that for the full length of the war. There had hardly been a day when he hadn't had the feeling that something bad was going to happen, and, usually, something bad did indeed happen. But there had been no way to predict when or where or even to whom it would happen, just like that day he had let his two younger sons go, a week ago.  
  
'This was not your fault,' a soft voice inside his head whispered, 'You did what you could.'  
  
The Lord of Rivendell smiled, for the first time taking in his slowly darkening surroundings. No, it had not been his fault, and he was sure that neither his elven sons nor Aragorn blamed him. He stood and straightened his tall frame, the despair that had shone in his eyes just minutes ago replaced by a sense of peace and determination. He wouldn't allow Cornallar to fill him with hopelessness, and neither would he fall for the obvious trap of letting himself be consumed by darkness and hate as his former advisor had done.  
  
He understood the grief that the other elf was experiencing, now more than ever, but he would not permit it to steal away hope, light and love in exchange for an all-consuming hatred.  
Watching the last rays of the red sun disappear behind the jagged, snow covered mountains, he turned and walked back to the camp, deciding that he could as well sit by the fire and worry there. And make the men feel uncomfortable by giving them the_ look_, he admitted to himself after a second; while it was not helping his situation any, it was strangely satisfactory.  
  
'Glorfindel wouldn't be too impressed by that attitude,' a reprimanding voice said sternly inside his head. Elrond grinned and shook his head; somehow he had the feeling that his old friend would understand his behaviour perfectly well under these circumstances. Even though he would have to be prepared for a serious conversation about acting like a millennia old elf lord should, Glorfindel loved these.  
  
After a moment the camp appeared, and he noted, with some satisfaction, that the men did not look very happy to see him return. His grey eyes wandered over the men, and he noticed that Cornallar was waiting at the edge of the small concavity in the rock they had chosen for a camping spot, standing lightly on top of the snow.   
And, unless the dark haired elf had invited some mountain goblins for dinner, which wouldn't have surprised Elrond in the slightest by now, he was waiting for him.  
  
Trying to fight down the anger that threatened to overtake him every time he set eyes on his former counsellor, he stepped closer, not wanting to give the other elf the impression that he was afraid of him. His keen eyes soon found the grinning sneer on the other's face, and, thinking of what was probably happening to his sons and Legolas right now, the fury intensified tenfold, darkening his eyes and increasing to such levels that every sensible being, from hobbit to ent, would have considered running into the other direction.   
Very, very fast and without looking back.  
  
Cornallar was either not a sensible being, or he knew the elf lord very well. Elrond's fury was a helpless one, and both of them knew he couldn't do anything right now if he didn't wish to endanger his human son's life.  
His enjoyment of this situation was very clearly visible in his dark eyes as he gave the Lord of Imladris a contemptuous smile and asked,  
  
"Back already, Peredhil? I hadn't expected you back for some time, after all, a father needs time to come to terms with the loss of his children. But perhaps it is different for you?"  
  
Elrond clenched his jaw tightly. Without a word he tried to brush the dark haired elf aside, telling himself firmly that nothing would be solved if he tried to kill him now. The only winner would be Cornallar, having finally been presented with a reason to have the humans kill Estel. Before he could get past his former advisor, a slender hand shot out and grabbed him by the arm, spinning him around slightly.  
  
Looking down at the hand that held his arm in a firm grip, he slowly raised his eyes and fixed them on the other elf, barely restrained anger in his gaze.  
"I am in no mood for your games, Cornallar. Let me pass."  
  
"And I am in no mood for yours, _my lord_," the dark haired elf hissed back, stepping closer to him. "You are no longer in Imladris! You're nobody out here, don't forget that! And if you wish to see your little _edan_ once more, I would advise you to answer me when I ask you a question!"   
  
Elrond studied the dark, burning eyes closely. Cornallar wouldn't need much to snap now, so blinded was he by his hate and the near promise of revenge.  
  
"They are not dead and nothing you or the humans say could convince me otherwise."  
  
The other elf didn't let go of his arm, his grip tightening painfully.  
"And how do you know this? Is this one of your famous visions?" Cornallar asked sarcastically. "As accurate as the one that promised my son a safe return?"  
  
"I did never say that," the elf lord stated softly, his eyes adopting a slightly pained look. "I didn't know what would befall them. And neither did Elendil or Gil-galad. If I had known I would have done everything in my power to prevent it from happening, you know that."  
  
Cornallar's fingers were digging into his flesh so painfully now that Elrond was sure that the other elf would have snapped his bone in less than a minute if he continues like this.  
  
"Oh, I do not doubt that, Peredhil," he spat sarcastically, "I'm sure you would have done anything to save your beloved _edain_! But still, Tinánd is dead! And since you are the only one still alive I can punish for your actions…"   
  
The dark haired elf's word trailed off as he gave the elf lord an evil smile.  
  
Elrond lifted his head, his eyes burning with anger and contempt now.  
  
"I know that, Cornallar! But you only speak of what _you_ want, what _you_ are going to do to get your revenge, you never even contemplate what _he_ would have wanted! Don't you remember your own son? Tinánd would never have wanted this! He was a kind and understanding elf, and he would never have wished anyone harm who did all he could to help him! Neither would he have wanted innocent ones to die, not to mention the Prince of Mirkwood and a human child that hasn't even seen his 25th summer!"  
  
Cornallar tightened his hold even more, and Elrond could have sworn he could hear the small, cracking noises of a slowly breaking bone. With his other hand he produced his dagger and held it up in front of Elrond's face.  
  
"Do not tempt me, Peredhil! I told you not to speak his name again! This is the very last warning you will receive. And do not lecture me on what my own son was like! He was perfectly normal, behaving just as befitting a young lord, until you and that human poisoned his mind!"  
  
Elrond's eyes strayed from the gleaming metal of the knife to the other elf's irate face.  
  
'He really believes what he is saying!' he realized with some surprise. Cornallar couldn't really believe that he had changed Tinánd's behaviour, could he?  
  
"This is not true, Cornallar," he said insistently, trying to get through to his former counsellor. "Neither I nor anybody else chose his friends for him. When he befriended Anárion, it was out of his own free will. And rarely have I seen a pair of more dedicated friends."  
  
Cornallar scowled and his grip on the dagger tightened, his hand shaking slightly.  
"A fine friend indeed!" he jeered, hatred distorting his features into an ugly mask, "A weak friend, a friend that got him killed! Nothing but heartache and pain can be the result when immortals mingle with lower races! You know that, don't you?"   
  
Elrond looked at him in pity as he shook his head softly.  
"Orcs killed your son, no one else. It was his decision to go, and no one made it for him, not I or Gil-galad, not Elendil or his elven friends, not even Anárion. No one is to blame for that, neither I nor the High King's younger son."  
  
At this Cornallar smiled softly, but it was a smile that caused a cold shiver to run down the elf lord's back. He didn't want to see that smile on an elven face ever again.  
  
"There I disagree, _my lord_," the dark haired elf whispered quietly, re-sheathing the knife and letting go of Elrond's arm that felt as if it had splintered into countless tiny pieces.   
"And unless his worthless descendants hadn't died out a millennium ago, I would have made sure that they attended our little party as well. But, alas, you can't have everything! I'll have to be content with what I've got, wouldn't you agree?"  
  
Elrond looked at the dark haired elf seriously.  
"Nothing you plan will appease his soul or yours, Cornallar. He has found his peace already, of that I'm sure. Both of them have."  
  
Cornallar looked at him unperturbed.  
"We'll see. You should get some rest, _my lord_," he said mockingly, "We'll travel hard tomorrow. I wish to have crossed the mountains in two days, it would be very impolite to let the others and your beloved human son wait, don't you think?"  
  
He turned and walked off into the direction Elrond had come from a few minutes ago, anger and hate radiating off him. The Lord of Rivendell watched him go before turning back to the camp, fetching his pack and retreating as far as possible to the side of the snow free rock overhang that they had chosen as shelter this night. Suddenly not even the thought of unsettling the humans appealed to him in the slightest.  
  
Leaning back against the rock wall, hidden from the humans by a large boulder, he carefully examined his arm and came to the conclusion that it wasn't broken, only very badly bruised. His hands strayed shortly to the cut on his throat, making sure the wound hadn't broken up again. When he was convinced that he would live through the night, he let his head rest on the hard, cold surface he was leaning against and fell asleep swifter than he would have thought possible, sending a prayer to the Valar to watch over his sons and the prince.  
  
  
  
  
"Well, if I needed any more reasons to hate goblins, they have kindly presented themselves. In abundance."  
  
Legolas resisted the urge to roll his eyes for about the hundredth time since that accursed cave-in. Now even Elrohir was beginning to make smart comments. Not that he could blame the twins at all, he felt just the same. Every step he took deeper under the mountains was like a bit more weight put on his shoulders, threatening to drag him down into a bottomless abyss of darkness and hopelessness. But, actually, they were suffering worse than him, since he had been here once already.  
  
'As if that would be of much help,' he thought wryly, 'If we don't get out of here soon, this darkness is going to choke me.'  
  
Behind him, he heard the still slightly grumpy voice of Elladan tell his brother,  
  
"Well, in all fairness, I don't believe they meant this … tunnel to be used by anyone but their own kind."  
  
"I am not so sure of this," Elrohir replied, turning and looking at his brother without slowing his walk, "It could have been a cunning plan to lure stupid, foolish, crazy, reckless and idiotic elflings into this! What do you think, my friend?" he asked, turning back to face the elven prince, a wicked sparkle in his eyes.  
  
Legolas ignored the teasing words of his friend and quickened his pace. It wouldn't help any of them if he throttled Aragorn's brothers. But then again, perhaps Lord Elrond would be thankful that he did not have to do it himself and would refrain from throttling _him_… Grinning evilly, the fair haired elf allowed himself to dwell on that thought for a little longer, until he felt a hand grab the back of his tunic, stopping his progress.  
  
"Legolas? I didn't mean to insult you. I'm sorry if I have."  
  
The younger twin's serious voice caused the prince to smile. Turning around, he let his eyes wander over the twins who stood before him, looking a bit guilty and anxious.  
  
"You did not insult me, _mellonamin_. The darkness and the narrow tunnels are enough to make even a dwarf testy and nervous. Besides," he shrugged and gave them a lopsided grin, wincing as that movement caused his broken ribs to scream in pain, "You were right. I was young and stupid."  
  
"Don't forget 'foolish, crazy, reckless and idiotic'," Elladan mumbled, receiving a dark glare from his brother that the older twin either missed in the nearly complete darkness that enveloped them or ignored superiorly.   
  
"That is something still open to debate, I think," Legolas replied in mock haughtiness, causing the twins to chuckle merrily.  
  
He watched them for a second or two before joining in, but stopped quickly when his chest and head informed him just what they thought of such actions.  
  
"Stop it!" he managed to gasp, still slightly out of breath, "Laughing hurts. A lot. How is it that you two always gang up on me when we're alone?"   
  
"Oh, dear friend, that's not fair," Elladan protested, holding his head that was apparently quite intent on parting company with his body once and for all, having decided that its current owner wasn't looking after it properly, "We don't gang up only on you. We are merely an excellent team, so we gang up on everybody else! We do it with Estel all the time when you're not there …"  
  
That name sobered all three of them as effectively as if someone had taken a bucket of ice cold water and had emptied it over their heads. As if on cue, the young elves looked at each other.  
  
"We should go on," three voices said in unison, and in all three could the strong determination to find their friend and brother be heard.  
  
Giving the brothers a smile, Legolas nodded slightly.  
"We should. We have made good time, tomorrow at this hour we should have reached the exit, and then we will be about half a day ahead of them. Perhaps there's even time to get some of our warrior to help."  
  
Elladan retuned the smile.  
"That would be very fortunate indeed. We would be most thankful for any help Mirkwood could offer."  
  
"You shall have all the help we can possibly give, sons of Elrond. That I promise," Legolas said formally, gazing at the twins seriously. He knew his father would have no objections to that promise, not with Lord Elrond's and Aragorn's life at risk.  
  
Accepting the nod of thanks from the dark haired elves, he turned back to his horse and led it on, on into the monotonous darkness of the tunnel. The elven prince shot the animal a quick look and was surprised to see that it was relatively calm for once. If the white horse had had a taxing character before all of this, then it was nearly unbearable now. Apart from that, he was sure that the beast had somehow come to the conclusion that the twins were to blame for all this. He had not missed the looks it had shot them, and he made a mental note not to let the animal alone with either of them. If Elrohir didn't want to explain to Aragorn why Legolas had been killed in a cave-in, then he didn't want to explain to his human friend why his horse had killed one or both of his brothers.  
  
It was quiet for a while but for the soft hoofbeat of the horse and the almost inaudible sounds of elven footsteps, when the horse grew slightly agitated again. Sighing in exasperation, the fair haired elf stroked its neck gently and whispered elvish words into its ear, trying to calm the beast. When this didn't seem to work, Legolas frowned. This was quite unusual, the horse didn't seem ill-tempered this time, it was more as if…  
  
Before he could finish that thought, Elladan's voice sounded from the back.  
"What is the matter with that monster? It hates us, I know it does…"  
  
"It hates _you_, brother. I had it under control quite well the last time we stopped."  
  
The older twin snorted at his brother's comment.  
"Oh yes, and how? That's something I'd like to see…"  
  
The twins were so concentrated on their bickering that they nearly didn't notice that the prince stopped suddenly, still trying to soothe the horse that grew even more nervous now and cocking his head to the side in an attempt to listen more closely.  
  
"What is it?" Elrohir asked, before freezing and drawing in a shocked breath when he heard what had spooked the horse and had caused his friend to stop: The sound of many heavy feet that caused the hard ground to rumble softly; even the stone didn't seem happy about being trodden on by whoever it was that was coming their way.  
  
"Goblins," his brother whispered softly, looking at them in alarm.  
  
Legolas nodded in agreement, his eyes darting around the tunnel for any possibility to escape detection.  
"Or something of their kind. At least thirty, I would say."  
  
The twins looked at him in shock.   
  
"We cannot fight that many! We couldn't even fight twenty right now, none of us is in the condition for battle!" Elrohir said quietly, trying to move his left arm and groaning when a stab of white-hot pain shot through his shoulder.  
  
"I know, my friend, I know," Legolas replied in a deceivingly calm voice, his mind spinning crazily as he tried to come up with a way to avoid the goblins.  
  
'That's the second time in a week now,' a taunting voice inside his head noted.   
As if he didn't know, Legolas thought irritated. This was getting really annoying. If he survived this encounter, he would gladly travel to the Gap of Rohan every time he needed to cross the Misty Mountains, the prince decided. What did it matter that this was a detour of several weeks? At least there were no mountain goblins there. Or caves, for that matter.   
Elbereth, if Aragorn ever heard about this episode, he would never let him live it down…  
  
"Legolas?" Elladan asked sharply. "Do you have an idea? Any idea?"  
  
The fair haired elf shook his head slowly.  
"None."  
  
In the distance, the noise of rumbling feet grew louder and louder, resounding in the narrow confines of the tunnels and shaking the ground beneath the elves' feet as the creatures quickly drew closer.  
  
  
  
  
  
**TBC...** **  
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_dúnadan_ - _'Man of the West', ranger  
edain - humans, men (pl.)  
mellonamin - my friend  
edan - human, man (sg.)  
  
  
  
  
_***grins evilly* Well, yes, it's a cliffy, and I admit it. I just couldn't resist! There was no real cliffy for two chapters!! We can't have that, can we??  
Okay, send me a review and I'll try to get the next part out sooner, in which we'll see quite a lot of Estel angst, something which I have badly neglected in the past, as my dear sister brought to my attention.  
Just a few lines would make me happy and prompt the creative part of my brain to work overtime! Promise!!  
  
  
  
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Additional A/N:  
  
**ThE iNsAnE oNe - It's not! *points at flu virus* It's its fault!! We should set our wargs on it, really... I still have a slight cold, it's nearly unbearable - and annoying! *looks at Tio suspiciously* Well, I hope the next part comes out soon, for your sake. Otherwise I might get a little upset - and I have Elrond's chainsaw, remember that!! I hope you are better now, being sick is, well, annoying to say the least.  
Zam - *whaps Zam and Lina* STOP - CALLING - HIM - THAT!!!! How many times have I told you... *takes a deep breath* Okay, I'm calm now... But you may keep hitting him, Cornallar is getting a bit of annoying, so go on, just let him live, okay? *grins evilly* Why did I know you would comment on the trees? But, come on, there is not much in a forest into which you can slam people, is there? *hands Zam a big cookie* Well done. You are one of the few people who noticed this really important remark - but sorry, I can't tell you anything. It would ruin the surprise... *evil grin* I'll go to have a look at the trailer right away, now that I'm back online I can do ANYTHING!! Yay Nili!!!  
Miss Undastood - *blushes* Stop saying that, it will give me delusions of grandeur - but it has a nice ring to it... *g* No, don't worry, I have decided to let Seobryn live - live, mind you, I don't guarantee that he will be in a good condition or anything. Well, English is indeed not my first language. It's German. Ugly, stupid language if you ask me, most of the time, anyway. I mean, there are Goethe and Schiller (poets) and people like them, but otherwise ... ugly. Just have a look at the lines below. Ugly, isn't it?  
Kaeera - Na ja, ich hoffe, du hast nichts dagegen, dass ich das hier jetzt als Anschauungsobjekt missbrauche, um aufzuzeigen, wie haesslich Deutsch sein kann. Oder? Tjajaja, die Zwillinge koennen schon ganz schoen dreist sein, oder? Darum lieben wir sie doch auch!*knuddelt sie* Keine Angst, die naechsten Kapitel haben noch eine Menge Zwillings-Action, und ich habe sogar noch eine Elrohir-Verletzung eingebaut (hm, eigentlich zwei), nur fuer dich! Musst allerdings noch ein bisschen warten...  
Mouse - *narrows eyes* A breakfast spread? Then why are you calling it 'evil'? Can a breakfast spread be evil? *imagines breakfast spread that is trying to choke you when you are eating it* O-kay, that was a weird vision... Yay, more M&Ms!! Thanks!! Okay, so you want Legolas to kill Donyc? *looks around her* Don't tell anyone, but I'm thinking about something along those lines, too... *g*  
Lina - His name is Cornallar!! CORNALLAR, for crying out loud, is that so hard to understand?? *glares at her* Got it?? *pats Lina's back* Don't worry, Cornallar will get what he deserves (in this case, a painful death *g*), there won't be anything left of him when I'm - or my plot devices - are through with him ... *evil grin* Well - yes... *studies Éomer* I mean, he's always cute, but he's _especially_ cute when angry and forceful. Very, very cute... *licks lips* Éomer: Uh-oh. LOL.  
Imbefaniel - Uhm, no, but my connection is from a company who has made the biggest loss this year in this country's history - I wonder why?? *g* But thanks, my computer is better now, it's working again - for now. *gives computer evil glare of death* You never know.  
Belle - See? *smiles nervously* It wasn't a week - only six days! And it wasn't my fault this time!! Hope you could escape your profs, here's another chappie to strengthen you for a while! *g*  
TrustingFriendship - Yupp, I got it. You just have to be patient, it takes up to three or four hours until a chapter you have just posted becomes readable, don't ask me why. It's a weird FF.net rule... Oh, no, don't worry, they didn't do anything to Mirkwood, it's still fine. I think. *g*  
CrazyLOTRFan - Oww, thanks, it's great you like it so much! And he _might_ find out, which wouldn't be a good thing, believe me... Thanks for the review!!  
Alisha - *blanches* Alisha? *faint voice* You are not serious! Nooooooo!!! *runs away screaming and hides behind her chair* *comes back a second later* Sorry, it just took some time for the initial shock to wear off. And it was a shock! I mean, it's GREAT that you have decided to read it and that you even LIKE it, but it was still a shock! (I'm repeating myself here, I know *g*) I mean, I absolutely adored your story, and this one is so bad in comparison! I mean, they talk too modern, and are horribly out of character, and have MY sense of humour which is never a good thing, and and and ... *wails* I am not worthy!!! Ah well, it's too late now anyway. *sniffs* I am SO happy you like it. And it's quite long as well, I have just finished ch 19 and there are 203 pages now... Thanks a lot for reading it. Thanks!! *huggles her*  
Reginabean - Phew! Not that you're away from that cliff, I may have some peace and tranquility for a while. *thinks again* Then again, maybe not... And hey, don't worry - computers hate me too. As you could see just last week. *scowls at computer, which ignores her* I know you heard me!! *g* Thanks for the review!!  
E - *grins evilly* Well, what do you think? It's L/E/E we are talking about here!! *g* Oh, don't worry, he will get a lot madder before the end, just wait till he sees Aragorn. *winces at mere thought* That is going to be interesting, to say the least... Sorry, I couldn't make it sooner, but I hope it's still soon enough!  
MidnightLoner - Okay, let me get this straight: Elladan and Elrohir are Elrond's oldest children, Elladan being the older of the twins. They are a little over 2800 years old now. Then there comes Arwen, who is about 150 years younger than them, I think, and then comes Aragorn, who is 22 right now. So: Elladan is the oldest, then comes Elrohir, both of them a little over 2800 years. Aragorn is 22 two, and I just guessed that Legolas is younger than the twins. I mean, he is definitely older than Aragorn, but Tolkien doesn't say for sure, so in my story, I pretend that he is a couple of hundred years younger than the twins, about 2300 years old or something. Oh, and, btw, Elrond is something about 6500 years old, if you want to know the exact dates, tell me, I just have to look them up again. I think the reason why you got confused may be that, sometimes, I call Elrohir the "younger elven son", which he is, of course. But the emphasis is on 'elven' here. *shrugs* Ah well. Everything clearer now? Thanks a lot for the reviews, and don't worry, I _will_ kill them, eventually. I think. *evil grin*  
Darkphoenix - LOL, I should have done that! What a shame to waste an opportunity like that, I mean, if you have a road about to be paved anyway... *g* Owwww... *blushes* You missed me? That's so sweet! I missed you guys too! And your reviews, of course! *g* Well, I don't know about the Elrond-gets-to-Aragorn-chapter, because it's not written yet, but the Legolas-gets-to-Aragorn-chapter is awfully long. Really, much too long. But I had this idea for an ending in my head which demanded to be written, so who am I to resist my muses...  
Alexa - Bingo! *hands her a cookie* Well done! OF COURSE there are goblins in this chapter, you didn't think I would let them get away so easily, did you? *evil cackle* And I'm really glad you like Elrond angst - there is a whole lot more in this chapter, but don't worry: Our favourite ranger is indeed going through some angst, but next chapter, not this. Right now he's too exhausted, he would probably faint, which is not a very manly thing to do... Okay, were did THAT thought come from?? And I'm really sorry, but there was nothing I could do! Really! I couldn't update sooner. BUT I posted it before Friday, so you won't miss this chapter, only the next ... and the next ... and the next ... *evil grin* And of course I have read C&S' stories! That's were I got my ideas from in the first place! I hope you have a great spring break!!  
Firnsarnien - *grins* Yeah, you are right, it does make for an interesting picture...*stares* You can move my ears to my toes? Really?? NEAT!! Please, show me!! I've always wanted to be able to hear with my feet!! LOL, that's an interesting picture as well... Well, I'm sure about one thing: I wouldn't want to see the _look _directed at me, believe me! My mother has a similar look, and that's scary enough. Thanks for the long review, I'll try not to let it happen again. But there's nothing I can do if the computer decides to go bonkers...  
Ciria - Hey, you are a lot cleverer than me! You save them! I don't, and lose all I have written on a very regular basis... *g* Ah well... *blushes* He scould call him something else, uhm, what about, I don't know... Truth to be told, I didn't mean it quite that literally. He could call him 'edan' or 'human' or 'your son' or something, it was just a 'Don't-laugh-about-my-son's-name-thing'. *g* Yupp, the 'weak piece' is Estel, stupid elf. I really don't like him. Oh, and we will see more Celebrían in this chapter, poor Elrond needs something to cheer him up... I guess Donyc got all his men from one place, the one where they teach their children to become minions of evil elves. Or human mercenaries, that's more or less the same. *g* Uhm, you mean how old was he when he learned the dwarven curses? About twenty or twenty-one, I guess. *scratches head* Phew, I dunno! I guess he would still have taken Estel in, but about the relationship with Arwen - I don't know. I always thought it was kinda like marrying your sister, but hey, Tolkien didn't think so... How has Elrohir hurt himself??? Last chapter, cave-in, falling rocks - remember? That goes for Elladan and Legolas as well. One last thing: There is more Nólad in here, so read on!! Thanks for the loooooong review!!   
Alilacia - *pats her back* Don't worry. I was just sitting in my room crying because you didn't review, but nothing bad happened... Just kidding!! Well, yes, Seobryn is cute, I'm not sure what to do wirth him yet. We'll see. I still have three chapters to write. Wales... *sighs* I've never been there, unfortunately. But I've been in Scotland, and, boy, I love it! So beautiful!! Well, forget the warg, they aren't good for anything - but they like goblins, for dinner, that is... *g* Thanks for the review!!  
Tbiris - *disgusted* Your brother would eat that?? I wouldn't eat Donyc, under NO circumstances... No way. *g* Thanks for reviewing!!  
ManuKu - *grinst* Das Pairing magst du, hm?? Da muss man sich ja auch gar nicht wundern, wenn eure Chraktere am Ende schwul sind... *g* Was Nólad angeht: Meine Lippen sind versiegelt. Er koennte ueberleben - vielleicht allerdings auch nicht!! Tja, die Telekom hat aufgegeben, sie hatten nach ihren Milliardenverlusten wahrscheinlich Angst, mich als T-DSL-Grossabnehmer zu verlieren *g*...  
Aralondwen - *reads review* O-kay... I see... You know, I know a great psychiatrist, he treats even the most insan... I mean, extreme cases. You should consider him, really! Because, frankly, I think you need HELP!!! *g* But I won't run away! I have survived worse, much worse!! Thanks for the ... uhm, interesting review!!  
Aurienia - Ack! My father is a doctor too, those are the worst parents!! I mean, really, you are dying and they tell you it's just a little cold and to stop pretending! Horrible!! How was France?? *hands Aurienia a cookie* Well done!! Well, the sources have to remain secret, but they will be revealed in due time. Yes, Celylith and Glónduil are going to make an appearance, I think. And don't worry, goblins are coming up! Just wait a little longer, and then L/E/E are going to have soooo much fun with them. Not!! Hmm, the ghost idea sounds nice, but it's all better now. No need to spook anyone!! Thanks for your kind words and your great reviews!  
Marbienl - Yeah, I write a lot at night, too. It's a lot more quiet and I can think. Well, as well as I ever can, which is not too great... *g* Don't worry, Aragorn is not dying - yet! *evil grin* Yes, he certainly isn't well, but well, he's going to get worse, so calm down, it's not so bad _now_. And Legolas and Elrond will find him. Eventually. LOL, 'crazy old dwarves'?? Dammit, I have already finished those parts, _that_ would have been interesting... I'm much looking forward to your future stories!! And torture sound just right!! *evil grin*  
Salara - Tjajaja, die Telekom - es ist schon beeindruckend, ich kenne wirklich niemanden, der mit der Telekom noch keine Probleme hatte. Ich ziehe ja um, sobald ich aus England wiederkommen, und will gar nicht daran denken, was dann mit den Verbindungen passiert... *sich schuettel* Ohh, danke... *rot werd* Aus deinem Munde bedeutet so ein Lob schon 'ne ganze Menge. Danke!! *knuddelt Salara* MEINE REDE!! *schuettelt Faust* Es muss A.I. geben, das ist die einzige Erklaerung! Mein Computer, auch so passend "Arsch" genannt - ganz offiziell uebrigens - macht nur was ich will, wenn ich drohe, ihn Komponente fuer Komponente auseinanderzupfluecken! Was deinen Lieblingselbenlord angeht: Der kriegt noch relativ viel Zeit eingeraeumt, dieses Kapitel auf jeden Fall, und in Kapitel 19 auch. Da gibt es eine nette Szene, die ich gerade geschrieben habe... Elrond is cool! *seufz* Danke fuer's Gebet, hat anscheinend geholfen!! *g*  
  
**Phew! That's it. Thanks so much for all the lovely reviews, it was so great to be able to go online and see them all at once! Thanks!! *huggles them***  
  



	18. Once More, With Feeling

**Disclaimer: **For full disclaimer, please see chapter 1.  
  
  
**A/N:  
  
Well, that's it. The last chapter before I'm leaving tomorow. It's sad, I know... *fake sobs*  
  
Okay, it appears that I will have no internet for at least a week there, but I'm taking the story with me so I can post the rest later. I think I will be able to update the weekend after the next, which would be ... *counts on her finger* ... around the 29th or 30th?  
I'm sorry, but there's absolutly no way to update any sooner, my family thinks I'm crazy anyway, worrying about internet connections and posting schedules and stuff... *g*  
  
Finally, the chapter in which someone (I'm not telling who! *evil grin*) will get to Aragorn is drawing nearer, just one more chapter and then the worst will be over. *re-reads chapters 19 and 20* Well, uhm, perhaps not really, but, ah, okay, you know what I mean! *chuckles evilly*  
  
  
Very well, I won't annoy you further, here is chapter 18! Yay!!  
Including a lot of Estel angst as promised and goblins ... lots of them, actually. They just appear out of nowhere, don't they??  
*shakes head* Annoying creatures, really...  
  
Enjoy and review, please!   
I may be in England, but I still need reviews! *g*  
  
  
  
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Chapter 18  
  
  
Elladan pressed his back against the wall as far as possible and tried his best to assume the shape, colour and texture of grey stone. Now he whole-heartedly thanked the Valar that it was so dark in here, in the pitch black they stood a slight chance. The fact that their natural elven light was dimmed due to injury and exhaustion, and their dark clothes actually helped them to blend into their surroundings, especially the twins' soft grey cloaks that seemed to have caught the exact colour of the twilight hours.   
  
He shifted slightly, only to freeze in place when he heard the goblins draw closer, now only seconds away. Somehow he had problems to pretend that he was part of the rocks. To pretend being part of nature had never bothered any of them, but rocks?  
  
'Probably even a dwarf would look more rock-like than any of us,' the older twin decided sarcastically, 'But then again, they look like that all the time, so they have an unfair advantage.'  
  
Opening his eyes to slits so the gleaming orbs wouldn't attract attention, he took a last look at their surroundings. If this was the last place he was ever going to see, something which he strongly suspected by now, then he would at least make sure that he remembered it correctly so he could drive Legolas insane with details during their eternity in the Halls of Mandos. That was something he was actually looking forward to, describing to the prince again and again and again and then yet _again_ what the place _he_ had chosen as their last hiding place had looked like. The hiding place in the dark caves he had got them into in the first place.  
  
Actually, it was quite a good place to hide, especially when one considered the alternatives, which had consisted in staying where they were and hoping that the approaching goblin horde was too busy looking at the ceiling to notice them.   
While they had been listening to the quickly approaching goblins, his terribly smart twin brother and Legolas had remembered that there had been a small passageway that branched off leading roughly to the south, a few hundred feet behind them. As quickly as possible they had raced back the way they had come, his friend dragging that horse behind him. Unfortunately, the "passageway" had proven to be a dead end after two dozen steps, something which nobody of them had noticed in the darkness the first time they had passed by.  
  
The loud rumbling telling them that they had no time to spare, the three elves had pushed the resisting animal into the short tunnel to the very end in the hope of putting enough distance between the still gleaming white beast and the torches some of the goblins obviously carried, judging by the faint glow that began to creep closer.   
At this point Elrohir had suggested in a wicked voice that they leave the horse to the goblins, perhaps it would buy them enough time to escape, but Legolas' fiery glare had convinced both of them that they wouldn't get rid of the troublesome animal so easily. Sighing softly, they had joined their fair haired friend in the tunnel, ignoring the looks he shot them. Harder to ignore was the horse that had apparently heard what the younger twin had said and was glaring daggers at them, something which Elladan had thought impossible.  
  
'But here I am,' he though with an inward grin, 'Hiding from goblins in a cave with a horse that wants to kill me. No one is going to believe this. Not even Estel.'  
  
His thought were redirected quickly when he heard the foul beasts round the bend a few feet from their hiding spot. Giving his surroundings one last look, he made sure that Legolas' fair hair was covered by his cloak and turned to his younger brother who leaned against the rough stone wall next to him, grasping his dagger with his right. Elladan tightened his own grip on his sword and sensed Legolas do the same with his twin blades.   
Well, if they detected them, they would have to come and get them, and, by Elbereth's stars, he would make sure that few of them survived!  
  
Locking eyes with Elrohir, he smiled softly when he saw the emotions on his twin brother's face, and closed his eyes and inclined his head slightly when they conveyed more things with a look than most people would have been able to with many words. He reached out with his left and let his hand lightly rest on his twin's arm. They would get out of here together, or not at all.   
  
At that moment the first goblins passed the small entrance, paying the tunnel the elves were hiding in no heed. As more and more of the beings walked past their hiding place, Elladan began to relax a bit. At least they didn't want to get to the small space they occupied right now; it would have been just their kind of luck if the goblins had wanted to visit their little tunnel to do Valar-know-what. Next to him, Legolas watched the goblins from under the hood he had pulled over his head to make sure that his blonde hair was not spotted by the foul things, counting them as they passed.  
  
Countless seconds passed, and still more and more goblins were passing them. The three young elves hardly dared to breathe, if they were found now, they would not survive the encounter.   
Elrohir turned to his friend and mouthed silently, lifting a dark eyebrow,  
  
'Thirty??'  
  
The elven prince shrugged lightly. Well, perhaps there were more than thirty. Right now he had counted about sixty, but did it really matter? It wasn't important by how many orcs or goblins you were cut into pieces, thirty or sixty or ninety, the results were just the same.   
  
Finally, the last of the deformed beings passed out of sight, leaving three very relieved and slightly surprised elves behind.  
  
Elladan blinked slowly, making sure that this wasn't a hallucination.  
  
"They are gone?" he asked tentatively, not daring to believe their luck.   
  
"It looks like it," his brother nodded, letting go of his knife he had grabbed so hard that his knuckles ached.  
  
The older twin leaned back, letting out a long breath.  
"That was close. Too close. _Far_ too close."  
  
"I agree, my friend," Legolas agreed and returned his blades to the sheath on his back, grimacing in pain as he did so. "Valar, that was lucky. We would have never been able to fight even a third of them. I wonder where they are going."  
  
Elrohir snorted and shook his head, stepping away from the rock wall.  
"Well, I don't. I don't care, as long as it's far away from here. Let's go on. The sooner I get out of here the better. I think I will go crazy if I have to spend more time here than absolutely necessary."  
  
The other two elves nodded silently and stepped out of their refuge, peering cautiously round the corner into the direction the goblin horde had taken. The twins fell into step behind Legolas, careful to keep their distance from the white horse that didn't look as if the time it had had to spentd in a cramped space with three nervous elves, two of which had wanted to feed it to goblins, had improved its mood any.  
  
Elladan watched the animal for a second before asking,  
  
"What is it with you and goblins anyway, Legolas?"  
  
Legolas stopped shortly and shot his friend a questioning look.  
"What do you mean?"  
  
The older twin shrugged and gave his friend an innocent smile.  
"Well, you seem to run into them an awful lot. That's twice in about a week, you know. I have counted."  
  
The fair haired elven prince narrowed his eyes and resumed his walk, contemplating if that annoying part of his brain that had told him the exact same thing a while ago was in reality Elladan, somehow. He quickly abandoned that idea again, it was just too scary to think about. Besides, a lot of the time it actually sounded like his father, but that wasn't something he wanted to think about either.  
  
Elladan didn't seem to mind that his friend didn't answer him.  
"You know, everywhere you go, you and Estel seem to meet them, somehow. Or orcs, or wargs, or wolves…"  
  
"Don't forget those hill trolls they met last spring. Sweet Eru, was _ ada_ angry!" Elrohir chimed in, beginning to grin broadly now.  
  
"Right, I had really forgotten all about them. Very well, and hill trolls, and highwaymen, and…"  
  
"Do you want to name every single thing we encountered?" Legolas asked, hiding the smile in his voice.  
  
"Yes," Elladan answered seriously, although his eyes danced merrily, "Unless you tell me how you do it."  
  
"I have a theory. Do you want to hear it?" Elrohir asked his brother, a wicked sparkle illuminating his eyes.  
  
Legolas groaned as he listened again to the younger twin's reasoning he had already heard, that evening they had talked by the fire while Elladan had been keeping watch over the human and Lord Elrond. It seemed like an impossibly long time ago.  
  
"…and since they wanted to get rid of him once and for all, something which I still have to thank them for, they…" Elrohir stopped in mid-sentence, his eyes growing wide when he heard the sounds of shuffling feet, about a minute away. Shuffling feet that were coming their way very quickly.  
  
"What by all the demons of Morgoth is that?" Elladan asked quietly, looking at them with pleading eyes. "Don't say it."  
  
"Goblins," Legolas said shocked, feeling very much as if he were caught in a time loop. This couldn't be happening to him, not for the _third_ time in a week!  
  
"How is that possible?" Elrohir hissed and drew his dagger with his right, studying the empty tunnel in front of him. "We should have heard them long ago!"  
  
"They must have stopped and taken a rest or something of that sort and are trying to catch up with the main group now," Legolas answered, surveying his surroundings. "Let us fall back a little, if we retreat behind the bend, we will be able to surprise them."  
  
The twins nodded as they moved backwards, readying their weapons as they did so.  
  
"What do you think? Thirty?" Elladan asked sarcastically as they took up positions next to each other, Legolas slightly behind them for he was the only archer they had.  
  
"Something like that," the fair haired elf replied, grinning slightly.  
  
"Do we have a plan?" the younger twin asked as he gripped his blade, a grim look on his face.  
  
"Try not to get killed?" his brother replied wryly, widening his stance so he stood right before Legolas, shielding him. "Oh, and try to kill all of them, because I don't think I have to describe to you what will happen if one of them escapes and managed to alert the main group."  
  
Elrohir took his eyes off the tunnel and shot his brother an annoyed look. Sometimes Elladan's comments were very hard to endure.   
"No, please do. What will happen?" he asked in an equally wry voice, looking at Elladan innocently.  
  
Elladan chuckled dryly, giving the horse that stood behind them an evil look.  
"They will eat the horse."  
  
Legolas shook his head, listening to the approaching goblins that were only a few seconds away now. These two were impossible. Aragorn had always claimed that they had actually scared off a bunch of orcs with their bickering once, but he had never believed that. Until now, that was.   
He notched an arrow to his bow, wincing as he pulled the string taut and felt the remaining stitches in his side protest under the strain. Well, that was the least of his worries right now, he decided.  
  
The brothers had fallen silent now as well, fixing dark eyes on the bend when they heard the goblins that would reach them any second now.  
  
"If they rush us, fall back," Elrohir instructed his friend, shifting his grip on his long hunting knife a last time, "We need you to eliminate as many as possible before they overwhelm us. We'll try to keep them away from you as long as possible."  
  
Legolas frowned at that, but nodded. They were right, the tunnel was narrow enough to block with two people, and he would be a lot more useful with the bow. The fair haired elf grimaced sadly; he'd rather used his own bow now…  
  
He was torn from his thoughts abruptly when the first goblin rounded the corner, turning back while he told another one something in their black speech. The prince waited until it had fully rounded the bend before he released the arrow that hit the creature in the heart, killing it instantly. It sank to the floor, a very surprised look on its face. Reaching for another arrow and notching it quicker than the eye could follow, Legolas managed to shoot three more before the others started to realize that there was something funny behind that bend. When two of them rounded the corner simultaneously, things got interesting. The prince shot both of them without much effort, but the time he needed to reload his weapon was enough for the second creature to let out a scream of warning, shouting something in their foul language to the others before a Mirkwood arrow found its mark in its throat.  
  
Suddenly there seemed to roll a great flood of goblin bodies round the bend, closing the distance to the three elves in almost no time. The twins stood their ground, furiously slashing at the creatures and dodging and parrying crude scimitars and other blades with which the goblins hacked at them, but they were slowly being separated as the sheer mass of the enemies pressed them away from each other.  
  
Seeing what was happening, Legolas fired two more arrows, both of them neatly hitting a goblin in the eye, before drawing his knives and joining the fray, placing himself right between the twins and closing the gap that was threatening to appear in their line of defence.   
  
"Well, _mellonamin_," Elrohir ground out as he was roughly slammed against the wall by a particularly ugly goblin that quickly lost its head to Legolas descending knives, "You underestimated slightly. I think there are a tad more than thirty."  
  
"I am sorry, Elrohir. The next time we travel through here, I will make sure to pick a horde that has the right size. Would that make you happy?" the prince replied sarcastically as he dodged the wild swings of another creature that seemed quite intent on gutting him before dancing to the side and slamming his elbow into its face.  
  
"Very, my prince. Ecstatic with happiness, actually," the older twin replied for his brother, killing another one that had got too close for his liking to burying its blade in his shortly distracted friend.  
  
The three concentrated on the fight once more, slaying goblin after goblin, but it seemed that for every single one they killed two others popped up, armed and shrieking angrily.   
  
'It's just not possible!' Legolas fumed inwardly, almost falling to his knees in pain as an armoured fist slammed into his ribs. 'They can't just form out of thin air!! There must be an end to them, they can't keep on coming!"  
  
Giving the twins a quick glance before moving to the side to avoid a blade aimed at his left side, he decided that they needed to come to an end soon, before they had completely exhausted themselves. Elladan was paling rapidly now, swaying unsteadily on his feet, and his sprained right wrist threatened to give way under every hard thrust that he had to parry. Elrohir wasn't doing well either, being able to use only one arm, something which the goblins had realized amazingly quickly; Elladan and Legolas had to do everything in their power to stop the foul beasts from rushing the younger twin.  
  
One of the things threw the prince against one of the walls, and when his head made contact with stone, the dark world exploded in bright light. Legolas had to concentrate all his will on the goal of staying awake and not losing consciousness as hot pain flared to life inside his head, and had it not been for Elladan's quick reaction, he would probably have lost said head right there and then.  
  
'And you are not doing any better than the two of them,' a smug voice inside his head noted, this time sounding a lot like his human friend, 'Stubborn, reckless elf.'  
  
Shaking his head, Legolas realized that, slowly, the enemy lines were thinning. There were no more than ten attackers left, they could do it.   
Drawing himself up, he stood next to Elladan and Elrohir who were tiring rapidly now, the three of them weaving a deadly shield of steel with their blades. Flicking his remaining knife into the air slightly, he caught it by the blade and threw it at the last goblin that had decided that it didn't want to fight these three elves alone, considering what had happened to his companions who had tried. Before the creature had done more than ten steps, it fell to the ground dead, the knife sticking out of its back.  
  
The three of them stood still, hands still gripping swords and knifes tightly that were dripping with dark blood now, breathing heavily and listening for sounds that would indicate that more goblins were to come. When nothing could be heard, they relaxed, the twins re-sheathing their blades and Legolas walking down the tunnel, collecting his knifes and as many arrows as he deemed salvageable.   
  
Elrohir sank to the floor, trembling slightly now. The adrenaline that had sustained his tired body during the battle was spent, and he just couldn't keep his feet any longer.  
  
"Elrohir!" his brother exclaimed worriedly and rushed up to his twin, "What is it, brother? Are you hurt?"  
  
The younger twin was weakly trying to push his brother's hands away, scowling at him.  
"Nay, I am fine, Elladan, don't worry. Just a little tired, that's all."  
  
"Tired, yes?" his brother asked, having quickly found the deep cut that ran down the entire length of Elrohir's arm. "Just tired? I don't think so! What were you thinking? Have you invited the thing to cut open your whole arm?"   
  
Elrohir grimaced in pain and tried to pull his arm away.  
"Well, it was either this or the other one! And since I can't use the left arm anyway, I thought it better to let it cut this one rather than be unable to defend myself at all!"  
  
Elladan gave his twin a stern look as he cut away his brother's shirt sleeve to get better access to the wound, trying to hide the concern he felt for his twin. Elrohir didn't look good at all...  
"Wait till _ada_ hears about this!" he threatened quietly.  
  
"I don't know, _mellonamin_, I don't think it will make a difference anymore," Legolas said with forced cheerfulness as he dropped down next to the older twin, handing him the medical supplies he had brought from the horse. "He will take only one look at his face and will strangle him. And then you."  
  
"Don't think he will spare you, Legolas," Elladan shot back, cleaning his brother's arm of the blood that was beginning to cake at the edges of the cut, "Under the calm façade he hides a rather fierce temper. He will have killed you before he even remembers your status."  
  
"That's not too bad, I think," the prince said thoughtfully, scanning his friend furtively. Somehow Elladan's posture was a bit too stiff. "It's better than coming home, having to explain all this to my father."  
  
Elladan finished wrapping up the cut, grinning slightly.  
"Oh yes, I forgot. You have dungeons in Mirkwood, haven't you?"  
  
Legolas shot his friend an evil look. He didn't really need to be reminded of that fact, especially not now.  
"We do, Elladan. But don't think you can distract me like this. You are hurt as well."  
  
"'Tis only a scratch," the older twin brushed the other elf's words aside, leaning back against the stone wall.  
  
"There is no such thing as a scratch when dealing with orcs or goblins, you know that," the fair haired elf replied, poking Elladan softly in the side, whose eyes flew open as he doubled over in pain.   
"A scratch, I see."  
  
"I don't know which one of you is worse, I really don't," Elladan complained as Legolas opened his shirt to tend the knife wound the twin had taken during the battle, "Estel fusses just like you when one of us is injured. But I'm quite glad he isn't here at the moment, with both of us wounded, and you as well, he would probably have a fit. His _look_ is rather impressive as well, for a human, that is."  
  
The prince smiled, remembering the many times his human friend had patched him up, scolding him for getting himself injured, but Legolas knew that that only masked the worry and fear the human felt for him. And Strider was very good at feeling both, and in addition to that he usually added a huge heap of mostly undeserved guilt.  
  
Legolas tucked in the edges of the bandage and nodded at his friends, who now looked definitely the worse for wear. Their elven bodies' soft white light seemed to become more insubstantial by the second, reminding him of stars that began to grow dim when the first light of dawn approached, lightening up the sky and banishing them into invisibility until the next night. He shook his head determinedly, tears appearing in his eyes as hot, blinding pain pounded behind his forehead at that movement, they needed to get out of here. They wouldn't survive much longer here.  
  
He stood carefully, holding his head as still as possible, and addressed the twins.  
"Come, my friends, we need to leave. The view leaves much to be desired, if you ask me," he nodded over to the piled up bodies of the goblins, "And it is possible that they will be missed and the main group sends someone back to check on them. If that happens, I would wish to be as far away as possible."  
  
What he didn't say was that they needed to get out, as soon as possible, or goblins wouldn't be their most pressing worry. Every elf felt uncomfortable in a cave, but an injured elf trapped many hundred metres under the ground, surrounded by everlasting darkness and cold, hard, lifeless stone was in the very real danger of dying.   
It happened very rarely, for Legolas couldn't remember ever hearing that such a thing had happened during his long life, but he knew it could indeed occur. When he had been an elfling his father had told him stories of elves who got trapped in caves, and whose spirits had fled, exhausted by their wounds and the darkness before rescuers could reach them. When he grew older he heard them more often, at a camp fire or during a long watch in the night. He had never known anyone who had actually died, and he didn't want that to change now.  
  
Elladan looked up at his friend, narrowing his eyes as he saw the blood soaked bandage that was still wrapped around Legolas' head.  
"I know, Legolas. But first you will sit down and let me change that bandage, you are not walking around like that."  
  
The elven prince shook his head before he could stop himself, squeezing his eyes shut as it performed a very realistic imitation of a bursting rock, with cracking noises and everything.   
Through the hammering pain that told him quite clearly that he had a rather severe concussion, he said,  
  
"No, we need to go on. We cannot tarry here, think of Aragorn, and the darkness…"  
  
He felt a firm hand grab his sleeve and pull him to the ground, pressing him back against the wall.  
  
"Stupid wood-elf," Elrohir's voice noted dryly, pressing his uninjured hand against his friend's cheek, "You can hardly stand yourself! That last goblin banged you up pretty badly, I think. Let us work, five minutes will hardly matter. We will leave as soon as we have finished."   
  
Legolas opened an eye grumpily, glaring at the younger twin that handed his brother fresh bandages, looking a little healthier now, even though every leader of one of the travelling acting groups would still have taken one look at his bruised face and pallid hue and hired him for the part of the fallen warrior, who had taken on a troll and lost. Badly so.  
  
"You are stubborn, all of you. Did you know that?" he asked, trying not to wince when Elladan unwrapped his head wound.  
  
"Yes. Now be quiet and relax."  
  
'Relax!' Legolas thought, closing his eyes again. 'I will relax the moment I get out of here, not a second earlier."  
  
  
  
  
"Do you know what this is?"  
  
Aragorn groaned inwardly as he was abruptly jerked out of his dreams. Getting woken by a kick was bad enough, but when he thought about it, he would prefer it to being woken by Donyc's voice any time. Especially when the other human sounded happy, something which never was a good thing, as he had learned very quickly.  
  
Still struggling to leave the last, inviting mists of sleep behind, the young ranger opened his eyes, giving his captor a tired look. He didn't like caves overly much, and having to spend the entire night in a tiny cavern in which even the stoutest dwarf would have begun to feel claustrophobic, tied to a rusty metal ring that was set into the stone wall and that Aragorn suspected had been put there just for such a situation as this one, had done nothing to ease that feeling.  
  
'And to see _him_ first thing in the morning…' he thought tiredly, studying the other human. Donyc looked really pleased about something, something which caused him to shudder in sudden fear. Whatever it was that made Donyc happy, he was sure he wouldn't like it.  
  
"Well, ranger? Do you?" the human commander repeated, giving him a gleeful smile.  
  
Aragorn's eyes came to rest on a small piece of paper that the man held in his hands, and he swallowed nervously. He had a very bad feeling about this.  
  
"No, but I am sure you are going to tell me."  
  
Donyc grinned at him, apparently unperturbed by his words.  
"Right you are, boy, I will. It is a message I received by one of the carrier pigeons I gave to the elf before we parted company. Do you know what it says?"  
  
The young human fought for composure, his thoughts racing. Had Cornallar killed his father? Was this the order to kill him as well? Or they had captured his brothers, or something had happened to Legolas, or…  
A million scenarios appeared in his mind, one worse and more horrifying than the other.  
  
The dark haired human grinned as he saw the fear in the young human's eyes that he so quickly covered with a look of indifference and calmness.  
  
"Well, I will tell you anyway. Apparently, the elf has met with that other elf lord, you know of whom I speak, I see? Don't worry, he is fine – for now, that is. But his companions aren't, I'm afraid."  
  
Aragorn's head shot up at that, silver eyes fixing on the man with such intensity that Donyc needed to blink several times and avert his eyes before he could continue.  
  
"It appears that the elf we met a few days before, oh yes, the Prince of Mirkwood, now I remember, and the other elf's sons decided to follow them, even though they had been expressly warned against such actions. Someone would need to teach them some manners as well, wouldn't you agree?" Donyc asked as he gave the young ranger a friendly smile.   
  
Aragorn didn't answer, ever-increasing fear almost choking him now.   
His brothers and Legolas had followed Elrond, o Ilúvatar, please no…  
  
Donyc resumed his tale, clearly enjoying Aragorn's fear.  
"Where was I? Oh yes, they followed him, but they weren't as clever as they thought. The men I gave to the elf, they set a trap for them. They drove them into the caves of Nogrodrim and collapsed the entrance. The three are dead."  
  
Aragorn closed his eyes, all colour draining from his face. The mocking words of Donyc seemed to echo inside his head, growing louder by the second. Dead, dead, dead, dead….  
  
"You lie," he said after a few second during which he had desperately been trying to find his voice that he seemed to have lost the moment his heart had broken in his chest.  
  
"Why would I do such a thing, ranger? You insult me," Donyc said, clearly pleased with his captive's reaction. "The elf writes that they are dead and that he and the rest will arrive here in two days."  
  
If Aragorn could have pressed his hands over his ears to block out the ringing voice in his head, he would have. As it was, the noise increased even more, filling his whole head with one single word. Dead, dead, dead…  
"No," he whispered brokenly, "They cannot be dead. They are not! You lie!!"  
  
His voice had risen almost to a shout now, something which caused Donyc to chuckle evilly.  
"I do not. They are dead. All three of them, crushed by countless rocks. Not a nice way to go, if you ask me."  
  
At that the young human looked up, eyes blazing with emotions so fierce that Donyc unconsciously took half a step back.  
"They are not dead. You can't kill them like that."  
  
Donyc grinned at him, somewhat annoyed that even in his weakened and bound state the ranger could still cause him to shrink back as if _he_ were the prisoner.  
  
"But they are, boy. Trust me on this. But don't worry," he stepped closer and grabbed his captive's chin, forcing grey eyes full of pain and fear to look at him, "You will join them soon enough."  
  
He turned and walked away, musing that he could hardly think of a better way to start his day.  
  
Aragorn closed his eyes tightly to hold back the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes. The human commander was wrong, if Legolas and his brothers were truly dead, they would be parted forever. He wouldn't join them and they wouldn't see each other again, not in this life and not in the next. They would journey to the Halls of Mandos while he would leave the circles of this world, as it was a human's fate…  
  
He tried to hold on to the hope that Donyc or Cornallar had been lying, that they were not dead, but all the despair, pain and fear of the last days dragged him down into a dark abyss from which there was no escape, and soon he wept helplessly for his best friend and the only brothers he had ever known.  
  
  
  
  
Nólad climbed up the steep path that led up to the main cavern swiftly, effortlessly picking small ledges and roots to place his feet so the stony way wouldn't slide to the side under his very feet, something which had happened to quite a lot of the men, much to the fair haired elf's amusement. Once he reached the large hollow in the rock face, he stopped and took a look around, letting his eyes wander over the long shelves and neat sleeping places that lined the walls. If it had been possible to imitate Rivendell in a cave, they had done quite a good job, he told himself again.   
The mention of his former home redirecting his thoughts to the person of the young ranger, he spontaneously decided to pay him a visit and see to his wounds rather than return to the men and have another pointless conversation about the positions of every single sentinel. Neither Donyc nor Addramyr could pick a strategic spot to save their lives, that was something he had found out many fruitless discussions ago.  
  
Grabbing his pack that lay on top of one of the wooden tables that stood in the middle of the room, he headed for one of the tunnels that led away from the main cave, disappearing into the direction of the small cavern they kept the human in. It was not a very interesting place, and, to be honest, the elf was sure that he himself would go insane in there, so far away from the sky and open air, but it had only one exit and a rather handy set of metal rings set into the wall that Cornallar had insisted on placing there, "just in case". Nólad had always wondered what case that might prove to be, and now he asked himself somewhat suspiciously if his friend hadn't been planning all this for a lot longer than he had originally thought.  
  
Rounding a sharp bend in the tunnel, he gave the guard that was leaning against the wall only one look that was enough to cause the man to take up his club and disappear down the tunnel the elf had just come. Nodding in satisfaction, the elf closed the small distance between himself and the small entrance to the cave, stopping just in front of it and studying the young human inside. He was still seated on the floor, bound to the lowest ring, but there was something different about him, something that spoke of despair so deep and choking that it made the elf's heart clench in sympathy. He knew exactly what that felt like. His keen eyes spied dried tear traces on the young face, and suddenly the pieces fell together into place.  
  
'So that was where Donyc had to go so suddenly in the morning,' he thought, shaking his head in mild disgust, 'I might have known.'  
  
At the sounds of softly shuffling clothes Aragorn looked up, silver eyes cold and lifeless.  
"What do you want? Have you come to torment me even more? Then, please, go on. I don't care."  
  
Nólad stepped into the little cave, seating himself opposite the man, which left about two inches between them.  
"So he has told you."  
  
The young man gave a short laugh, a sound full of despair.  
"Oh yes, he has. In no unclear terms he stated that Legolas and my brothers are dead."  
  
The pain in the ranger's voice caused the elf to flinch involuntarily. To lose so much on one day, that was enough to break even the strongest man. It was something that had very nearly broken _him_ all those years ago. Nólad got up and turned to leave to give the other some time to come to terms with his grief. Somehow he had the feeling that his company wouldn't be appreciated very much right now.  
  
When he had just reached the entrance, a soft but firm voice stopped him in his tracks.  
  
"No. Tell me why he hates men so much. Tell me what the men of Westernesse have done to deserve such bitter hatred. Tell me why my friend and brothers had to die! I think I deserve some answers by now."  
  
Nólad slowly turned back to the little cavern, staring at the young ranger. He was right, he decided after a minute during which the man had neither blinked nor averted his eyes, returning the elven gaze with ease, he deserved to know.  
Sighing, he sat back down on the little ledge, trying to decide where to start.  
  
"Well, you already know that we hail from Eregion, and that we lived in Rivendell after Sauron destroyed our home, don't you?"   
When Aragorn nodded, the elf continued.   
"Cornallar was one of the few lords that survived the slaughter, and he even managed to save his infant son, but for his wife … it was too late. When he came back to her, she was dead, buried under the remnants of their house."  
  
Nólad stopped for a second, smiling softly.  
"She was truly beautiful, with golden hair and eyes so green that every jewel smith would have given his right arm to have gems in that colour. After her death, Cornallar gave all his love to his son, who was so very much like her, and not only in appearance, for he had inherited her eyes. Tinánd grew up in peace in Imladris, and it was a long peace. For over 1700 years we lived in Rivendell without worries, but then, 3000 years ago, war once again came upon us, when the Last Alliance of Men and Elves was formed at the instigation of Elendil, the High King and your _ada_ . No, I don't want to quarrel with you about this topic, _dúnadan_ ," he raised a hand when Aragorn opened his mouth to say something, "But at their insistence it was formed. Tinánd joined the army, out of two reasons: First, because he was convinced that it was the only way to stop Sauron, and second, because he wouldn't let his friend go alone."  
  
"What friend?" Aragorn asked, intrigued.  
  
Nólad smiled again.  
"One of your forefathers, ranger. Anárion, brother of Isildur and younger son of the High King of Gondor and Arnor, Elendil. Tinánd and Anárion had met when the prince was younger, before the destruction of Númenor, and they became friends quickly. Tinánd ignored all those who told him not to befriend a mortal, that it would only bring him pain, and when the war broke out, Tinánd wasn't willing to let his friend go to war without him. For ten years they fought side by side, protecting each other's backs, and never anything worse than scratches and bruises befell them. That changed though, one year before the Fall of Barad-dûr."  
  
"What happened?" Aragorn questioned as the fair haired elf fell silent and stared at the ground, eyes wide and unseeing.  
  
"They died," Nólad answered curtly. "Their troop was ambushed by orcs, and although they fought bravely and held them off for longer than anyone would have thought possible, they were still overwhelmed in the end and slaughtered, one by one. When we found them, they still lay back to back, protecting each other."  
  
Aragorn closed his eyes sadly. Of course he had always known that Isildur's younger brother had been killed one year before the war ended, but he had never been told about the circumstances. Now he knew why.  
  
"I am sorry," he said quietly, "I see what you meant when you said he would kill me. Thank you for not telling him."  
  
Nólad rose to his feet, his face pale and drawn from the memories he had just relived.  
"Think nothing of it, young one. I don't think his reasoning is correct myself."  
  
"Then why do you help him, when you know he is doing the wrong thing?"  
  
The elf looked at the young human sharply.  
"We do not always do what we want to do, and neither do we always do what is best for us or what is the right thing. You should know that, Heir of Isildur."  
  
Aragorn dropped his eyes, he did indeed know that. Suddenly he saw Legolas' earnest face appear in his mind's eye, smiling at him gently.  
'You are not bound by their deeds, Aragorn,' his friend's voice told him softly. 'You decide your own fate, it doesn't matter who your ancestors were, _mellonamin_. Not to me, and not to anyone else that matters.'  
  
Filled with new resolve, he raised his head and looked Nólad in the eye.  
"I am not my forefathers, Nólad. I decide myself what to do with the things fate has given to me."  
  
The elf just looked at him, cocking his head slightly to one side.  
"You are indeed not, _dúnadan_. I see that now. Good Night."  
  
He turned and walked away, his soft footfall barely making a sound on the hard, stony ground.  
  
When the fair haired elf had left, Aragorn leaned back, shifting around for a second before resenting himself to the fact that he wouldn't be able to find a position in which he didn't hurt. It was either his back or his arms or his shoulder, he would simply have to ignore it. He closed his eyes with a tired sigh, carefully avoiding thinking of his brothers or Legolas so he wouldn't lose himself in the dark pit from which he knew he wouldn't be able to escape by himself.  
  
'I just hope that only because I heard Legolas' voice that doesn't mean that he died and came back to haunt me,' he thought wryly, suppressing a yawn.   
Just before he fell asleep, exhausted by the mental anguish he had experienced today, he came to the conclusion that this could not be the case. Elladan and Elrohir would never miss a chance to annoy him, if he had heard his elven friend's ghost, he would have heard the twins' as well.  
  
Strangely comforted by this, he relaxed his hold on consciousness and let sleep carry him away to places where nothing could separate him from his friends and family.  
  
  
  
  
  
**TBC...**  
  
  
  
  
_ada - father (daddy)  
mellonamin - my friend  
__dúnadan_ - _'Man of the West', ranger  
  
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***grins sheepishly* Hey, a little angst is always a good thing, isn't it? Isn't it?? *shoots pleading looks at angry readers* Uhm, well, my plane will be leaving soon ... I've got to go ... Bye!! *runs off* Oh, before I go: Look out for the next chapter, which will be here as soon as possible, in which a lot of questions will be answered and Estel finally gets rescued. *grins evilly* In a way, that is...  
Oh, usually I beg for reviews here, so: Would you? Please? I would be soooo happy! Please Please Please??  
  
  
  
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Additional A/N:  
  
**Zam - Yeah, well, I guess your orc horde is just not orcish enough for other orcs - or goblins, in this case. But they're great at playing Trivial Pursuit! *grimaces* Aragorn in a diaper? I soooo don't want to imagine that!! *g* LOL!! 'Is there any man flesh?'!! That's so great ... *reads on* ... 'monkey-sweater'?? What kind of insult is that?? You are weird, you are really weird... Uhm, I'm sorry, but Anárion wasn't Cornallar's friend, he was Tinánd's, Cornallar's son's. (wow, so many genitives in one sentence!! *g*) *grins evilly* Yes, Cornallar can be quite annoying, but he will get what is coming for him, believe me... *pats Zam's back* Don't worry, there's _always_ hope! Unless Donyc kills Estel, of course, then he/it's dead... *g*  
ThE iNsAnE oNe - LOL! Your chapter is sooo funny! I still have to review it, but just in case I don't have enough time (why is there always so much to do when you go somewhere?? Huh??), don't be angry. I'll try to do it once I'm online again... Only one more chapter for ITB?? You can't be serious!! Please ... write more ... soon ... please ... But then post more of TMAATB (God, you've got to love acronyms!), now!! I demand it!!  
E - I'm not telling you who is arriving where, and when. (*scratches head* Did that make sense? I guess not...) LOL, Donyc is indeed a bit stupid, and he underestimates his opponents, which can get you killed real quick... Donyc could never have a son! I mean, who would be willing to... Okay, I'll stop that train of thought _right here_. *grins smugly* Well, sometimes begging helps. Keep going. Just kidding!!!  
Belle - *wide-eyed* Your profs are shouting "prof smash"?? That's definitely weird!! Sorry, I updated as fast as I could, and, believe me, you wouldn't thank me if I had posted ch19 already. That one is the mother of all cliffies, and you would hate me if you would have to wait for more than ten days... It's for your own good!! *g* Your college is a conservative christian one? I went to a catholic school, our head master was a Jesuit priest, as were a lot of the other teachers... I know _very well_ what you mean... *blushes* Well, I _am_ considering something like that. Perhaps I will study journalism as well next year. We'll see. *pats her back* Calm down, breathe, that's it... I'm posting, see? *raises eyebrow* Well, your college sounds weirder by the second! Don't worry, now you can do your homework! That's great, isn't it? *g*  
Alexa - 'Lucifer - Satan of FF'?? Owww, that's so sweet, thank you.... I'm weird, I know, but that's the nicest thing someone has told me since they threatened to feed me to wargs and stuff... *g* Uhm, 0 % cliffhangers? That won't work, I'm afraid, since ch19 and 20 are both cliffies, and I'm very proud of them. They are evil!!  
TrustingFriendship - *nods* Yes, he may have been in pain, but not nearly in as much mental pain as the others! We can't have that, fair's fair... Well, they _will_ get out, dont worry. Eventually... *evil chuckle*  
Firnsarnien - SEE?? This isn't a cliffy!! See??? *under her breath* The next two chappies are, though... You didn't hear that, did you?? *grins smugly* Well, I did as you asked: Another chapter, relatively soon *ignores shouts of protest* and no cliffy! That's great, isn't it?? *g* Don't worry, more E/E/L in the next two chapters, read on!!  
Mouse - LOL, you are going to drown me in M&Ms? Until I update again? There is a flaw in that plan!! I don't know where, but there is one, believe me... *g* Thanks so much for all your reviews, it's great to see that some people are actually following this ... weird ... thing ... Thanks!!  
Alilacia - No, don't worry, I meant it will take me about three more weeks to finish the story. The next chapter should be up in a little more than a week, okay? But the first week I definitely will have no internet access, but I'll try to update as fast as possible. *g* Yeah, the twins are a little nuts, aren't they? There another scene jkust like that in this chappie... Thanks so much for all your reviews and keep your wargs out of the tunnel!! I can't have them ruin my story!!  
Fliewatuet - *blushes* Owww, that's so kind of you! Someone likes my style of writing! (My sister: What? Weird humour, people out of character, stupid and evil villains? Who'd like that?) *sighs* Siblings... Yeah, well, they are all in tight spots right now, but things will get better! Soon ... not right now, of course... *g*  
Kaeera - Wow! Ihr habt einen PC in der Pausenhalle? So was hatten wir auf unserer Schule nicht!! *neidisch guck* *zeigt stolz* Siehst du?? Elrohir is verletzt!? Na ja, der Rest eigentlich auch, und so viel angst war's dann auch wieder nicht, aber es sollte ja auch nur eine kleine Szene sein. *zuckt Schultern* Na ja, im naechsten Kapitel geht's dann ja auch weiter, aber das ist eher komisch... Mathematik-Wettbewerb? Wow! Da waer ich nur als Abschreckungsobjekt reingekommen!! Ich hab's ja auch nach dem 12. abgegeben... *g* Schoen, dass du die bloeden Sprueche mochtest, mehr kommen noch!! Goblins sind Kobolde, aber ich muss da immer an HP denken...  
Alisha - *looks at Alisha* Well, that was an ... interesting reaction! Yeah, well, I know that elves glow in the dark, but they're injured and exhausted so they don't glow so much now ... *raises eyebrow* And the mysterious Mirkwood elves were trampling so loudly that they were confused with goblins?? *g* But I like the Glorfindel-to-the-rescue-bit! It's a nice idea... But it would be slightly improbable, wouldn't you agree? *g* *panicking* See?? It's here! No reason for nagging!!  
Imbefaniel - What's the exact adress? I would love to check out your pics! Thanks for the review, I posted as fast as possible! Really!  
CrazyLOTRfan - *evil grin* I agree! Poor everyone!! Was that enough angst? I was nearly crying myself when I wrote the end of the Donyc-Aragorn-scene, I've always thought that not-being-together-after-death-thing so sad!! Well, don't tell anyone, it would ruin my reputation...  
Joanne - Well, let's say it this way: 'Soon' is a very relative term, isn't it? All I'm saying someone is getting to Estel next chapter, it might be Elrond. Then again, I might be someone else... I'm so happy you like it, thanks for reviewing!  
Reginabean - Phew! Lucky you!! So you're really travelling to Mirkwood? Good choice!! *grins* There are no cliffs there, after all...  
Miss Undastood - Sure you could - not German, maybe, because it's quite hard, but ... Latin is quite easy. As is Spanish, when you know Latin, that is... I'm not sure about Seobryn yet, that will be decided in the next chapter. *gulps* What kind of neighbours do you have? They eat bear glasses? Jesus...  
Nikeie - *narrows eyes* How do you know Legolas' age?? I couldn't find it anywhere, and all the people I've spoken to didn't know either. So, how do you know? Tell me!! *g* Well, yes, I could have started with Legolas in Rivendell, but everybody does that. Besides, there are reasons for that, just wait for the next chapter... Well, the elvish is supposed to be Sindarin, but it's a bad dictionary, as I said, and I'm looking for another one. It's the Grey Company's, but they are role-players, so it's not really accurate, I think. And don't worry, the horse is not dead, only wounded. Well, Legolas is not even my main target, I'm more of an Aragorn fan... Sorry for hurting your elf. *evil cackle* Not.  
MidnightLoner - I'm glad I coudl help. Thanks so much for your kind words, and I posted this asap! Really! Well, yes, they are going to have a lot of fun with the goblins... Not!!  
Lina - Well, I'm sorry, Lina, really... *pats her back, eyeing Éomer lustfully* He is so ... cute sometimes... *g* As I said, I will try to post there, but I can't make any promises! *pouts* Great, now even Éomer is trying to get away from me ... nobody loves me ... that's so unfair ... *starts crying* LOL, well, Éomer, is a little stupid, after all...   
Ciria - *looks scandalized* Well, I don't like Cornallar, of course. He's horrible - hm, what does that say about me, considering that I have created him? *looks at Ciria who is jumping up and down in excitement* You are obsessed with Nólad, d'you know that? But he's in this chapter as well, so don't worry! We? What we? Oh, and Eskadol mean Hidden Home, at least that's what it's supposed to mean. Well, in a way you are right about Nólad's motivations, he has been deeply scarred by the war, but _Cornallar_ is his lord, first and foremost. Elrond for a while, when they were living in Rivendell, but always after Cornallar. Well, I won't answer all the otehr questions, I would ruin the rest of the fic. You'll have to wait for a bit, I'm afraid. Oh, Nólad lost no one specific, just about all his friends and remaining family. Nólad's eyes are light grey. I'm glad you still like it, thanks for the long review!  
One15 - *nickt ernsthaft* In der Tat, ich komme aus Deutschland. Ich wohne sogar da, stell dir vor!! *g* *rot werd* Oh, danke, ist doch schoen zu hoeren, dass meine Englischkenntnisse so gut sind - na ja, ich war vor einem halben Jahr 6 Monate in England als AuPair (da fahre ich jetzt auch wieder hin, zu Besuch), also sollte man so was aehnliches auch erwarten, nech?? Ta-taaaa!! Herzlichen Glueckwunsch!! Nur fuer dich, ein kleines Geburtstagsgeschenk! Wir wollen doch nicht, dass du den Tag damit verbringst, vor dem PC hin- und herzutigern, oder? *g* Tja, mit dem Geschichts-LK haben wir doch alle angefangen... Mach nur eins nicht: Nimm nicht nur Geschichte, da drehst du durch. Ich bin jetzt erst im 2. FS und glaub mir: Nur Geschichte macht dich fertig! *g* Was eine Erklaerung fuer das hier waere...  
Sharkshape - *blushes* Oh, believe me, there _are_ mistakes. Quite a lot actually, somehow a few always manage to hide themselves somewhere. I think it helps when you're not a native speaker, I tend to be so insecure that I check things twice before posting anything. *blushes even more* Well, I like your review! It's very nice to read, even if it gives me delusions of grandeur... Yeah, well, Nólad... He IS quite predictable, I know, but I thought his motivations are more or less clear. He has lost people he loved in that skirmish just like Cornallar, and he doesn't like men or other races either. But he isn't insane and he doesn't want to hurt elves or people with elven blood. Ah well. It's my first story, and something like that was bound to happen... Thanks so much for telling me what you think of this! It helps a lot!  
Aurienia - Uhm, great to hear. I'd hate to see you die. So you want more Cornallar-Elrond-scenes? Sorry, not in this chapter, but in the next, okay? Would YOU want to ride that horse?? I wouldn't, besides, this horse is very nervous because of the darkness. You can't calm a horse when you're sitting on top of it. Phew, I'm glad you decided not to write the review in French, because I don't understand a word except "Oui", "Merci" and stuff like that. I chose Ancient Greek instead, and never regretted it... *g* LOL, the _ look _sounds interesting! You want more Legolas angst? Poor elf, he has had quite enough of that, don't you think?? But Estel angst is coming up now!!  
Tbiris - Yes, how will they get past the goblins? Just read on and find out! Oh, and Aragorn isn't suffering without a reason, he is suffering because the author and the readers _like_ it!! Mhahahaha! We're evil, you know...  
Salara - Hah, ich habe immer Zeit zum Surfen!! Tja, das Pferd *taetschelt es und bekommt fast die Hand abgebissen* ist eigentlich die Replika eines Pferdes, das ich kenne, und das genauso ist. Ganz genauso. Oho! Ich wurde von einem Leser explizit aufgefordert, unsere Helden zu peinigen! Nun kann keiner mehr sagen, das waere alles meine Schuld! Aber, holde Dame, Euer Wunsch ist mir Befehl!! Mhahahaha!! Und keine Angst, ich tu schon was, Kapitel 19 ist viiiiieeeel zu lang und vollgepackt mit mehr oder minder nachzuvollziehenden Handlungen und Entwicklungen! Danke fuer die guten Wuensche, und ich werde die Ferien damit verbringen, noch perfidere Abenteuer fuer unsere Lieblinge auszuhecken!  
Elanor - *shakes her hand* Another Estel fan! He is just great, isn't he? *sigh* Stop it! *puts her hand over Elanor's mouth* Stop scaring him like that! He doesn't need to know what will happen to him - he will find out soon enough!! *tried to remember some Dutch from all the times she has been there as a child* I give up! Sorry! All I remember was that it was quite easy to understand when you know German, or at least to read. The languages are quite similar, wouldn't you agree? Thanks for saying that my English is good, so is yours! Thanks for adding me to your favorites! *huggles her* Vielen Dank! (I'm sure you'll remember that! *g*)  
ManuKu - Tja ja, noch ein Nólad-fan; davon gibt es mittlerweile ziemlich viele! Ich kann leider zu seinem weitern Schicksal keine Aussagen machen ... Kein Kommentar! Den Trailer habe ich leider noch nciht gesehen, es war entweder das Kapitel hier fertig machen oder der Trailer! Ich bin sicher, du unterstuetzt meine Entscheidung... *g* Gottseidank gibt es ja auch Internet auf der Insel, sonst wuerde ich durchdrehen! Seid nicht boese, falls ich es nicht mehr schaffe, eure Geschichte zu reviewen, ja? Ich fiebere mit, dessen seid euch gewiss! Ich werde versuchen, es bei Gelegenheit nachzuholen! Aber ich muss noch packen und und und...  
W - Cool name! Now I've got "E" and "W"... *g* Yay! Constructive criticism! Hey, don't look at me like that, I really like it! It helps a lot! *drops her eyes* You are right, and you cannot imagine how surprised I am as to why no one else has yet noticed that Elrond is acting, well, let's say 'strange', shall we? I know it's a bit weird, but I had this idea and it wouldn't go away... Quite frankly, I am surprised you didn't stop reading after chapter 3, shrieking "They are soooo out of character!!!" Well, for the other men: Addramyr is just plain sadistic, that guard Aragorn banged over the head doesn't like him for obvious reasons, and the rest isn't so bad, are they? I mean, okay, they are a bit evil, but they are not treating him overly cruelly, are they? It's just their job, and they're ruthless and they get paid for it and... *takes a deep breath* Okay, so perhaps you are right. But humans are like that, I think, once you give them a little power over others. LOL, yeah, they need a lot of rope. But that's something they could have taken into consideration, knowing that they would have to kidnap someone. Well, thanks for pointing these things out to me, and thanks for thr review! I'm glad you still like it!  
Marbienl - *jumps up and down* Write faster, write faster! I want to read it! Please! Hey, your German is good! And the other language: That sounded like Dutch to me?! Is it? Did that mean "It's not that bad, is it?" (or somthing like that in English)? If it did, it once again proves my theory that you can understand a lot if you speak German... *pats her back* I know that poor Estel baby is cold and hurt, but, well, let's say Donyc doesn't see things our way. And I won't say anything about Nólad or Seobryn, it would ruin the next few chapters! Thanks so much for the review!!  
Luce - *blushes* Thank you! It's great to hear that you like it so much! Don't worry, Legolas and the twins will get out of there soon - I'm not promising not to hurt them, though! *evil grin* You can't have enough Estel angst, can you?? Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**Wow, this is getting longer than the actual chapter! I will have to think of another way of responding to reviews ... not now though, I have still to pack my things and stuff. Another huge thank you to all of you! Reviews are just ... words fail me. Thanks!! **  
  



	19. The Bonds Of Friendship

**Disclaimer: **For full disclaimer, please see chapter 1.  
  
  
**A/N:  
  
Wohoooo!! I'm back!!! *big fat grin*  
  
A very merry Hello to all of you from this beautiful island, home of Shepherd's Pie, Mint Sauce, Marmite and Bovril (*shudders at mere thought of the latter two*). How can people actually eat that? One of my friends ate a toast with Marmite and peanut butter today! Don't look at me like that, I actually _saw_ it!!! *g*  
For anyone who doesn't know about English culinary peculiarities, Marmite is a, well, a .... thing. It's yeast extract, and you can drink it or eat it as a breakfast spread. That's what English people say, anyway... *winks*  
Uhm, okay, enough of that...  
  
Thank you all soooo much for your lovely reviews! I managed to go online twice last week, and they all made me laugh! With happiness, of course... *g* That was when I discovered C&S had stolen one of my names! *face darkens* Seobryn is _my_ name!! Ah well, theirs is still a great story, so I won't complain - much.  
  
I am indeed having a great time here in good ol' England, wheather's been great, believe it or not! That is also the reason why I can't promise to update as regularly as I did at home, but I'll try not to let you wait longer than five days, okay?** **Okay then. *g*  
  
  
Here we go, chapter 19 is here!! *audience claps* Thank you, thank you, thank you! **  
**It's a lot longer than I would have wanted, but I just had the last paragraph in my head, and I just _had_ to end it like that. I doubt you'll be complaining about the length, anyway... *g*  
Read on and you'll understand why I haven't posted this before I left.   
*mutters under her breath* God, you'd have killed me, England or not...  
  
  
Enjoy and review, please!!   
  
  
  
**

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Chapter 19  
  
  
"Brother?"  
  
"Yes, Elladan?"  
  
"If I ever use the words "cave", "Legolas", "not too bad" and "goblins" in one sentence again, feel free to shoot me. In fact, do it now and get it over with, agreed?"  
  
Elrohir sighed softly, trying to peer over his older brother's shoulder to catch a look at whatever had triggered another round of Elladan's smart comments, but since they were of the exact same height, it was a hard thing to accomplish.  
  
"Agreed. Later. Now what is it?"  
  
Legolas who stood next to the older twin turned around slightly, flashing Elrohir a sympathetic smile.  
"The exit is blocked."  
  
"Blocked? What? How?" Elrohir asked, a sinking feeling spreading in his stomach. "Just tell me it's not goblins. Please?"  
  
Elladan turned as well, shooting the elven prince a dark look as if it was Legolas' fault that a bunch of goblins had chosen the only exit that led out of this maze of tunnels for their camp fire.  
  
'It's not that I have invited them or anything!' the fair haired elf thought irritated, returning the glare in kind.  
  
"Of course there are goblins, Elrohir. What did you expect?" he heard Elladan ask in a tired voice which he could understand only too well. Since their last encounter with the foul things a day ago they had pressed on with only very few rests in between, and to find the only way out blocked by another horde of the creatures, now that they could see the stars and smell the fresh air, was slightly frustrating.  
  
'Slightly?' the annoying voice asked, chuckling unbelievingly.   
Very well, he amended, then he felt very frustrated. To be perfectly honest, he couldn't remember having felt quite this frustrated in his whole life, and that included several of the most boring council meetings within living memory.  
  
He looked up as Elrohir tried to push past him, hugging his injured left arm to his body.  
"What are you doing?" he asked confused, eyeing the younger twin closely. The dark haired elf's light was dimmed to an almost non-existent glow now; perhaps he was losing it.  
  
"I have had enough. I am going over there, and if they don't let me pass, they will regret it, that I swear by Eärendil's light. And if I don't see mentioned light soon, I will go insane, right here, right now," Elrohir stated, gazing grimly at Legolas and his brother.  
  
Elladan gave his brother a stern look.  
"If you do that, I am not going to be the one who drags what will be left of you back to father. Think, Elrohir! You wouldn't get further than ten feet before they would simply shoot you."  
  
Elrohir glared back, but relented quickly.  
"You are right. I'm sorry. I just can't stand this darkness for much longer."  
  
Legolas nodded, placing a slender hand on his friend's shoulder.  
"I know, my friend. But we need a plan, or no-one of us is leaving this cursed hole."  
  
"Do you have an idea?" the older twin asked, studying the other elf closely. He knew that wicked sparkle in the prince's eye, and, in his experience, it was never a good thing if that sparkle was directed against you.  
  
"I have indeed, _mellonamin_. Listen to me for a second…"  
  
When he had finished his explanations a few minutes later, Elrohir gave him an indignant glare.  
"I am not staying here with … with that _thing_! I absolutely refuse!!" He pointed at the white horse behind them, which looked even unhappier than the dark haired elf, if such a thing was even possible.  
  
Legolas sighed, rolling his eyes. Why had he known that Elrohir would react exactly like this?  
He opened his mouth to argue, but Elladan spoke first, coming to his friend's aid.   
  
"Hush, Elrohir. It's a good plan. Legolas is right. You wouldn't be much help to us with your arm. Stay here and keep them off our backs."   
  
"And your wrist is so much more helpful, is it?" the younger twin shot back, but dropped his eyes to the ground quickly. "Very well, you are right. Both of you. I will cover you, but rather from that beast than from any goblins."  
  
The other two looked at each other, nodding slightly.  
  
"This won't take long. There are only six or seven of them," Legolas said, smiling at Elrohir before turning around and sneaking off into the shadows, leaving the wide space of the passageway to Elladan.  
  
"Tell me again why I have to be the bait," the older twin complained as he walked up to the foul creatures, trying to make as much noise as possible and cursing softly when they still didn't hear him. "I am not going further than to this rock. There is no cover beyond that point."  
  
The elven prince snickered as he readied his bow and flattened himself against the wall, making sure once again that his hair was covered.  
"You are perfect, my friend. Nobody can tramp as noisily as you. Besides, I am the archer, remember?"  
  
Elladan cursed some more.  
"Just you wait, Legolas, just you wait. I'll get you for this entire episode, one of these days I will get you…"  
  
At this point the twin's ranting was interrupted when he had to dive for cover rather abruptly as a crude arrow flew over his head, hitting the rocks behind him.   
  
Very good, Legolas thought as he aimed at the first of the yelling goblins that came rushing into view now that they had seen the dark haired elf, just like I thought.   
Waiting for them to come a bit closer, he finally released the projectile, hitting the creature in the heart. The others didn't even realize that there had to be a second adversary before Legolas had killed two more, taking aim carefully for he wasn't really sure of his eyesight right now. The world tended to sway and swim in and out of focus in a rather annoying fashion.  
  
The attacking goblins were decimated even more when Elladan's sword started to aid Legolas' efforts, and soon only two of them were left. The fair haired elf killed his adversary with a swipe of his knives, grimacing in disgust as dark blood splattered all over his hands, when he heard a panicked shout from behind him. Identifying it as Elrohir's voice, he quickly scanned his surroundings to see Elladan struggle with a big goblin that was slowly preparing to plunge a thick knife into his chest. Under normal circumstances it wouldn't have been a problem for the older twin, but right now he was exhausted, and his weakened wrist wouldn't obey his commands.  
  
Legolas let himself drop to the ground, ignoring his head that screamed in pain, and grabbed the bow he had dropped seconds earlier when the creatures had identified his position. At a later time he could remember few times when he had notched and fired an arrow faster or with more determination, and he watched with satisfaction as the last goblin's eyes grew large as the arrow hit right it in the forehead, killing it instantly.  
  
Elladan fell back against the wall, breathing heavily. That had been close. That goblin had very nearly killed him, he had felt how his strength had given out, little by little…   
He looked up a second later when he saw Legolas approach, grinning down at him.  
  
"It is a good bow," the prince said simply.  
  
The older twin laughed shakily, reaching out for his friend's hand.  
"It is, _mellonamin_," he stated as Legolas pulled him to his feet, "And never have I been more thankful that I have given you something. And that includes that time when I put the shovel in your hands after putting worms in Estel's boots last year."  
  
The other elf laughed at the memory.  
"Elbereth, he very nearly killed me!"  
  
Before the twin could reply, Elrohir came into view, looking worried and disgruntled at the same time.  
"Are you alright, brother? And you, Legolas? Is one of you hurt?"  
  
Elladan shook his head, smiling at his twin.  
"Nay, don't worry. We are both fine. What about you? Were there goblins?" he asked with a pointed look at a blood stained piece of cloth that covered Elrohir's right hand.  
  
Elrohir shook his head quickly to reassure his brother.  
"Only one. It wasn't the problem. It's that demon horse!" he added with an accusing look at Legolas. "It bit me! It waited till you were out of sight and then it bit me!! Stop grinning, it's not funny!!"  
  
He glared at the horse that came up behind him, looking happier than any of them could remember in a long time.  
The three of them began to make their way to the exit, breathing in the cold air deeply and watching the twinkling stars that shone brightly in the night sky.  
  
"I don't know, Elrohir, I'm sure it didn't mean it," Legolas tried to defend his horse as they settled down on a small ledge a few hundred feet away from the cave entrance, simply enjoying the fact that they had managed to escape the mountain.  
  
The twins turned and gave him an identical stare.  
  
"Very well, perhaps it did," he amended quickly.   
"What are we going to do now?" he asked, trying to change the topic before the twins could decide to avenge themselves on the animal. "I think Cornallar and your father will come down here tomorrow in the early evening. I can try and travel to Mirkwood to get some reinforcements."  
  
Elladan nodded slowly, smiling softly when he surveyed his surroundings. He would never have though he could be so happy to see the Misty Mountains.  
"That would be wonderful, my friend. But the only option we have is to wait for them and follow them when they have passed by. No one knows where Cornallar's home is, and the elves will be careful that nobody sees them with Estel or the other humans."  
  
At that Legolas frowned. It reminded him of a thing he had asked himself numerous times during their long journey under the mountains: How was that possible? If these elves had lived near his father's realm for the past millennium or longer, how was it possible that no one ever encountered them? That no one knew of their existence, or where they lived? How was it possible that they moved around as they pleased, in the company of human mercenaries no less, and never even got caught by a patrol once? How?   
Suddenly an idea began to form in his mind, an idea too frightening to consider, but too logical to ignore. Cornallar would need help, he would need an informant amongst the warriors, someone who told him about the scheduled patrols and things like that… Someone who didn't like humans overly much and wouldn't have a problem with Cornallar's opinions about them…  
  
The prince gasped out loud when he finished that thought. It couldn't be, could it? His heart grew cold when he remembered Glónduil's words that he had spoken as a matter of good-bye over a week ago.   
  
_Let him be, Celylith, if he doesn't want our help, we won't force him to accept it. There are strange things abroad, dwarves, men and elves, and sometimes even both travelling together… _  
  
Men and elves…  
  
Legolas closed his eyes, fighting down the pain and guilt he felt. If he was right, then this was his fault, in a sense. If he had seen what his former friend really felt like, he would have been able to somehow prevent all this. There would have been a way, perhaps…  
  
He barely heard Elrohir's worried voice ask,  
  
"Legolas? Are you alright?"  
  
The prince didn't open his eyes for a while, his face frozen in an emotionless façade.  
"'No one knows where their home is'," he repeated softly, slowly opening tired silver-blue eyes and fixing them on the anxious faces of the twins.  
  
"I know somebody who does. And, by the Valar, I will make sure he tells me."  
  
  
  
  
Elrond watched the nervous horse in front of him in the early sunlight. The human on top of it felt anything but comfortable in this frozen environment, and this feeling slowly communicated itself to the animal as well. It was obvious the beast hadn't much experience with ice or snow, let alone ice or snow in quantities such as these.  
  
'Five minutes,' he mused thoughtfully, 'Five minutes and then they are going to fall.' He watched as they drew closer to a particularly narrow spot and amended quickly. 'Three minutes.'  
  
Just as he had thought took the horse one look at the narrow passage that glittered with ice and stopped, snorting and shaking its head in a way that rather clearly said that it didn't intend to set one foot forward in the near future. The rider cursed and hit his heels in the beast's flanks, forcing it to resume its walk, which proved to be a mistake quickly. The horse started to slide to the side at almost the exact same moment its hooves touched the ice, and its desperate attempts to get back to safe ground only caused it to skid down into the direction of the frozen mountainside faster, from which it would plummet down into the bottomless chasm to their right, taking its rider with it.  
  
Before it could come that far though, Elrond had spurred on his elven horse that had a lot less trouble on the ice and had grabbed the horse's reins, stopping its slide and helping it back to the snow covered path a few feet ahead. Handing the leather reins back to the man who had let go of them in an attempt to hold on to the animal, he gave him a cautioning glare.  
  
"The next time your horse doesn't want to go somewhere, listen to it. It knows a lot better where to step and where not to."  
  
The man nodded, his eyes wide with surprise and terror. He was still breathing hard, having just narrowly escaped certain death. Ignoring the teasing comments of his companions, the human rode on, vowing not only never to look at an elf again after this was over, but also never to set foot in the Misty Mountains again either. Both were just too unpredictable.  
  
The Lord of Rivendell watched the retreating back of the human; he had the certain feeling that this one hadn't learnt anything from his little near-death experience.  
  
"Why did you do that?" a soft voice asked to his left, and Elrond turned to look into the truly surprised face of his former advisor. "Why didn't you let him fall?"  
  
"Because I had no reason to," Elrond answered seriously, looking at Cornallar in surprise. "I had to help him, if I hadn't, I wouldn't be better than a common murderer. He didn't deserve this."  
  
"How do you know that?" the other elf asked, looking at the men in disgust. "You would have had to worry about one man less if you had let him die."  
  
"It would have been wrong not to help him," Elrond retorted simply.  
  
"Sweet Eru, 'wrong'? It would have been one piece less to trouble you, you would have been one step closer to victory!"  
  
"There are rules you have to follow in every game, Cornallar."  
  
The dark haired elf snorted.  
"Not in this one, Peredhil. There are games you have to win, no matter the cost."  
  
Elrond raised his head at this, his gaze determined.  
"There we disagree. The end never justifies the means, which is something I though you knew. Haven't you learned anything in Rivendell?"  
  
Cornallar didn't seem to mind the other elf's words. Elrond wondered for a moment if this was a good thing or a bad thing, and then decided that it wasn't good. Cornallar was either too busy planning his death or already so far-gone that he only heard what he wanted to hear.  
  
The dark haired elf smiled jovially at the Lord of Rivendell, telling him,  
  
"Oh, I have learned a great many things under your tutelage, o great and mighty Lord of Imladris! One is that you can never trust lower races like men, for they will bring about your ruin, consciously or unconsciously. Another is that you, _my lord_, are so busy cuddling your beloved_ edain_ that you forget about the needs of your own people. And third, that exactly this is your weakness, Peredhil: You are not willing to make sacrifices. You cannot win if you don't change that, and so the initiative lies with me. All you can do is react to everything I do, and therefore are always one step behind."  
  
At those words the elf lord leaned forward slightly, his grey eyes boring into Cornallar's.  
  
"This game is not over yet, Cornallar, never forget that. It has only just begun, and you are already planning the victory celebration. This is _your_ weakness, and it always has been: Your arrogance. You are overconfident, you just assume that everything will go according to the plan you have laid in the beginning. And that is, as every player can assure you, a grave mistake.   
Your plan may be good, it may even be very good, but it is not perfect, for no game plan can ever be perfect. You can't plan for every eventuality, all it takes is one un-foreseen move, one situation you haven't thought of, one piece that is taken when you don't expect it or is not taken at all, and your plan crumbles. Then you lose the initiative, and before you even know what's just happened, you are in the defensive, watching your pieces get taken one by one."  
  
Elrond leaned even closer, so that now only inches remained between the two elves' faces.  
"As you said, you risk all you have. But so do I, because you have forced me to. One thing I swear to you, Cornallar, and I swear it by my father's star: I will see this game to the end. And when you least expect it, I will make my move. I will watch you fall, you and your pieces, and I will make sure you can never play such games again."  
  
He turned abruptly, spurring on his horse again slightly. He shouldn't have let Cornallar get under his skin again, but, one way or the other, this was going to end soon. He knew these mountains quite well, and this evening they should finally get off them. Then he would get some answers, answers to questions that threatened to drive him insane with worry.  
  
Cornallar watched the dark haired elf lord ride on, and, for the first time since they had met again, he asked himself if he hadn't underestimated the Lord of Rivendell after all.  
  
  
  
  
The woods came finally into reach, and the lone elf on the white horse let out a huge sigh of relief. Since he had parted company with the twins, it had seemed to him that the woods of his home drew nearer and nearer, only to take a giant jump backwards when he wasn't looking. When he had crossed the Anduin, the sun had just risen in the east, casting a soft golden glow over the lands and causing him to once again thank all the Valar that might be listening that they had escaped Nogrodrim, in his case for the second time. There had been times when he hadn't really believed they would make it.  
  
By now he had reached the edges of the forest, and when he felt the gloom of Mirkwood surround him, he smiled happily. It was good to be home, even if it was under these circumstances.   
'Well, the only thing I need now is a patrol,' Legolas thought, hoping that Glónduil was still with his men and had not returned to the palace. The time he would need to get there was something neither Aragorn nor Lord Elrond had.  
  
The prince's smile grew a little wider when he remembered the twins' reactions when he had told him of his thoughts and suspicions concerning his former friend. Especially Elladan had voiced his plans for him loudly, and Legolas was really hoping that nothing serious had befallen his friend or the Lord of Imladris, and be it only for Glónduil's sake. The twins' eyes had adopted an identical look of coldness and fury when he had told them about the other elf's actions and words, a look that didn't bode well for the dark haired elf's future.  
  
He and the twins had agreed that someone needed to ride ahead and get Glónduil to tell them where the elves' hideout was located, if it truly was him that was passing information on to Cornallar as Legolas suspected, but about the identity of said person a heated debate had broken out. While Legolas had argued that he was the healthiest (at which the two had broken out in rather insulting laughter) and the only one that stood a chance of getting the horse to cooperate without ending up in several pieces, the twins had claimed that they would get _Glónduil_ to cooperate.   
When he was finished with him, Elladan had claimed, his eyes flashing grimly, he would tell him everything he wanted to know. And a lot more after that.  
  
In the end, Legolas had managed to convince them and they had agreed that, once he had found out where Estel was being kept, he would send as many warriors as possible westwards to meet them, while they would follow him east as fast as they could.  
  
At the thought of his former friend hot fury washed once again over his senses, colouring his slightly fuzzy vision a bloody red for a second or two.   
'It's fortunate they didn't accompany me,' he thought wryly, 'If even I cannot control my temper, what would they have done?'  
  
He hadn't really been paying attention to his surroundings, and so it came that he looked up to see a figure on the road, blocking his path, bow drawn and pointing unwaveringly at him.   
  
"Halt! Who enters the Elven King's realm?"  
  
Legolas smiled as he identified the voice as belonging to one of the younger captains who served in the same guard as Celylith and Glónduil.  
Throwing back his hood, he reined in his horse and said,  
  
_"Mae govannen, ohtar en ataramin!"_  
  
The reaction was instant, and, from Legolas' point of view, quite amusing. The young elf's eyes grew wide when he saw at whom he pointed his weapon, and he returned it to his back with a speed that did a warrior of Mirkwood justice.  
  
"Your Highness! I didn't know … I mean, I'm sorry … forgive me …" the elf stuttered, his face paling rapidly.  
  
The prince laughed and jumped off his horse, holding onto the beast for a second as he waited for the world to stop spinning.  
"There's nothing to forgive," he said when the trees had returned to the places nature had assigned them and had stopped dancing around each other, "It's my fault; I should have paid attention. But please, tell me: Are you alone? I need to speak to Celylith and…"  
  
He closed his mouth with an audible snap when he saw Glónduil step around the large tree trunk he had been hiding behind. The dark haired elf looked at him in surprise.  
"Legolas? What are you doing here? I thought you were in Rivendell with your little…"  
  
Before he could say another word, Legolas had closed the distance between them and grabbed him by the shirt.  
"Where are they, Glónduil? Where have they taken him?"  
  
The other elf looked at him in shock, green eyes growing wide when the prince shook him slightly to emphasize his point.  
"Where is who? What are you talking about? Are you alright?"  
  
Legolas' eyes grew cold at that, reminding Glónduil of wells of ice-cold water that seemed to burn with an inner light.  
  
"No," Legolas spat, "I am not alright! I have rarely been farther away from alright than I am now! Where are they? The elves that live somewhere around here, no more than three or four, their leader someone who doesn't like humans too much? Does that ring a bell?"  
  
The fair haired prince watched the other elf's eyes closely, and really, there was the small flicker of understanding that was quickly masked by indignation and confusion.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about, your Highness," Glónduil said as neutrally as possible.  
  
Legolas had to stop himself from doing some of the things Elladan had suggested, starting with slowly strangling this pathetic liar.  
"Listen to me, Glónduil," he said in a low, dangerous tone of voice, tightening his grip on the other's shirt, "Listen to me very carefully. You know exactly of what and whom I speak, I can see it in your eyes. Those … elves have kidnapped Strider, and do you know why? To get through him to Lord Elrond, and they have succeeded! Right now he is on his way over the Misty Mountains to stop them from killing his son, and once they arrive, which should happen sometime tomorrow, they will kill them both, if they are lucky. Do you understand? This is no longer about a few humans! It is my friend and Lord Elrond we speak of!!"  
  
The dark haired elf looked at him with wide eyes.  
"But they … they said they wouldn't …"  
  
"Excuse me, my lord?" the young captain asked, confusing plain to see on his face. "What is going on here? What has happened to Strider?"  
  
Legolas took his eyes off his former friend for a second to fix them on the confused elf. He had forgotten all about him for a while.  
"What's going on here, captain, is rather simple," he explained in a far too calm voice, "Glónduil has been passing on information about patrolling schedules and similar topics for years, to people who have taken captive Strider and the Lord of Rivendell. And who have tried to kill me and the Lords Elladan and Elrohir as well," he added as an afterthought, glaring at the dark haired elf he spoke of.  
  
"That is treason!" the young warrior exclaimed horrified, studying the prince unbelievingly.  
  
"That it is," Legolas agreed quietly. "You have betrayed your own people, Glónduil, and you have betrayed me as well. Why? It can't be because of your dislike for Strider, it has started a long time before that. What did Cornallar tell you?"  
  
The dark haired elf looked at his prince in shock.  
"I didn't mean it like that, you have to believe me! They said they just wanted to be left alone, especially by _edain_ and others like them. I haven't even met Cornallar more than half a dozen times; it was mostly Nólad with whom I had contact."  
  
Legolas looked at him unconvinced, but relaxed his hold on his shirt slightly. At last, this was an opportunity to gather some information about the mysterious elves.  
"Nólad?"  
  
Glónduil nodded.  
"He is one of Cornallar's friends, the only one that is left now. The other two were killed about thirty years ago when they were trapped by orcs in a landslide, I think."  
  
The fair haired prince narrowed his eyes in thought. So there were only two elves left, and Cornallar was still with Lord Elrond. That was good. The fewer elves there were around, the easier it would be to get Aragorn out of there, wherever he was.  
  
"Where are they?" he asked again, silver-blue eyes boring into green ones.   
When Glónduil hesitated and dropped his eyes, he grabbed his shirt tighter and dragged him closer until their faces were only inches apart.   
  
"This is the last chance you will get, Glónduil. If you don't do it for me, then do it for yourself. If you tell me now where they are hiding, I will tell the king that you have shown goodwill and will plead him for mercy. Your first loyalty lies with this kingdom, and it is your duty to protect Mirkwood and its allies. Protect them, not betray them to the enemy! Please, if our friendship ever meant anything to you, then tell me!!"  
  
The other elf swallowed, his breath coming in laboured gasps now. After a few seconds he closed his eyes, and all the tension seemed to leave his body, like a puppet whose strings had abruptly been severed.  
  
"North," he whispered so softly the other two elves could barely understand him. "They live in a valley to the north called Eskadol. It's about half a day's ride from here, if you hurry. Just follow the road leading into the direction of the Grey Mountains just west of the Great River, and look out for a small hidden path leading to the north-west. Follow that and you will reach Eskadol."  
  
Legolas let go of him, looking at him with a mixture of slowly fading anger and pity.  
"Very well. Captain?"  
  
The other that had stared at his companion in disgust snapped to attention.  
"Yes, my lord?"  
  
"You two are alone?"  
  
"Yes, my lord, we are. We separated into different groups two days ago, six groups with three men each. Celylith was with us as well, but he, well, he…" the young elf trailed off, shooting a furtive glance at his prince.  
  
"He did what?" the fair haired elf asked in slight exasperation. He needed to get to Aragorn, now, he just knew his human friend needed him. Urgently. Right now.  
  
"Well, your Highness, you know him. We found an empty spider's nest yesterday, and the tracks of a baby leading off into the southern woods…"  
  
Legolas held up his hand, silencing the blushing warrior. It wasn't his fault his commanders were a pair of lunatics, he decided, rubbing his aching forehead. The one betrayed his own people, his oaths and everything he stood for, and the other ran off chasing baby spiders.  
  
'If_ ada_ ever finds out about all this, we are doomed. All of us.'  
  
"Please, stop. I don't want to know. Alright, this is what we are going to do: You," he looked at Glónduil, who seemed to have shrunk to half his size since Legolas' arrival, "You will travel to the groups further away from here, and get all the warriors you can back here. If possible, get some from the other patrols as well, if you can find them on such short notice. You," the prince nodded at the young captain, who still stood to attention. One of these days he would have to talk with him about that, he decided with an inward sigh.   
"You," he repeated, "Will gather all those within a radius of a few miles. Then you will return to the edges of the forest and wait for the Lords Elladan and Elrohir to arrive. They should get here this night. When Glónduil and the others have joined you, you will follow me."  
  
"Follow you? Where are you going? And wouldn't it be a lot quicker if I helped notify the others as well, not to mention safer?" the younger elf asked with a pointed look at Glónduil.  
  
Legolas returned to his horse and mounted, careful not to move his head too much.  
"I will be travelling to Eskadol. I do not intend to allow them to kill my friend just like this. And to answer your other question: Yes, it would be quicker, and probably safer. But I wouldn't want to be responsible for what the twins would do once they found Glónduil alone, waiting for them. They are not in a very forgiving mood right now, believe me."  
  
He turned his horse and was just preparing to leave again when Glónduil stepped up to him, looking at him with pleading eyes.  
"Please, you have to believe me, Legolas. I didn't know what they were planning. I would never have harmed Strider or Lord Elrond intentionally! I didn't know what would come of this!"  
  
"That is the problem: You didn't think. You acted out of your silly, ill-founded prejudices instead of using your head. Besides, it is not me who you have to convince or whose forgiveness you have to seek. Ask Lord Elrond's pardon, and that of his sons. I will keep my word and plead my father for mercy, but let me promise you one thing: If Strider or Lord Elrond have taken any serious harm, I will demand satisfaction. And that is only if the twins let you live to even face trial," Legolas answered coolly.   
  
Turning to the younger warrior, he gave him a slight nod.  
"I will wait for your arrival tomorrow. With Elbereth's help Strider and I will already meet you on your way there."  
  
The captain nodded.  
"We will be there. Namárië, my lord."  
  
With one last look at his former friend Legolas urged the horse onwards, north into the direction of the nearest crossing.  
It was truly a strange thing, he mused sadly as he spurred on his horse to an even faster gait, that the last bonds of an already broken friendship would now help him to save the life of another friend.   
Some things were truly stronger than even the deepest wounds life could inflict on one's soul.  
  
  
  
  
Nólad hid a smile when he looked at the young ranger, who was sitting at the entrance of the main cavern, clearly enjoying the sunshine. Yes, he thought, it had been a wise decision to have him brought out here. The elf didn't know if it was because the human had grown up in Imladris, because of his life as a ranger or because of his elven blood, but he had taken only one look at him this morning and decided that the boy needed to get out of the small cave he was being held in, or Cornallar would return to find him dead.  
  
'Which wouldn't make him so unhappy either,' he mused dryly, idly flicking some blades of grass from his shoulder. 'But he ordered me to keep the _dúnadan_ alive, so that's what I will do.'  
  
The elf stood and walked over to one of the wooden shelves, retrieving his weapons and strapping his quiver to his back. After a second he grabbed a thick cloak as well; if he knew anything about the weather here, it would snow soon. He shouldered his pack after he had made sure that he had indeed packed his healing utensils; the trip with the ranger had taught him to be prepared for everything, especially with this family.  
  
Soundlessly he returned to the young human who was being closely monitored by Donyc who stood next to him, an arrogant sneer on his face. When the fair haired elf drew closer, the ranger cocked his head to the side and turned around, fixing dark grey eyes on him.   
  
"Enjoy it while you can, ranger," Nólad advised him, taking one last look at him. The man's injuries were healing, slowly, but he was still weak and the slight fever hadn't let go of him yet. In addition to that he was looking a lot paler and thinner than the first time the elf had seen him.   
  
A mild sadness stole over his features when he remembered that day. He had been at the edges of Mirkwood with his lord, meeting with the young warrior that supplied them with information, when, just visible to their elven eyes, two horses had appeared on the Old Forest Road, their riders laughing helplessly about something one of them had said second ago. Cornallar had asked who they were, surprise on his face when he realized that one of them was human.   
  
The fair haired elf sighed softly, he could still hear Glónduil's response ring in his head: _"That is Legolas, the Prince of Mirkwood, my liege's son. And that edan is called Strider, a ranger of the north, foster son of Lord Elrond of Rivendell."_  
  
Nólad shook his head, it was amazing how much a simple sentence could effect so many lives. Cornallar hadn't said anything to that, which wasn't unusual, for he left the talking to Nólad if possible, but the second he had heard Lord Elrond's name, a fire had been kindled in his dark eyes, a fire that had only intensified over the past months and that was slowly spreading to consume everything the fair haired elf knew and loved.  
  
Shaking his head again, he forced himself to concentrate on the present. It wouldn't help anyone if he lost himself in memories or contemplations of what-could-have-been-if-only. Lifting his head, he beckoned the human commander to follow him as he turned around and started to descend into the valley. Donyc complied after assigning another human to the duty of guarding the ranger, and followed the elf after giving Aragorn a malicious look that promised the ranger that he would return.  
  
A few minutes later, Nólad had reached his horse that stood at the foot of the rock face, waiting for him. Stroking its nose gently, the elf began to stow away the things he had brought. When he had finished with that, he leaned against the animal and sighed in exasperation. It was truly astonishing how slow and clumsy humans could behave, he mused. His keen ears noted a crashing sound, followed by a blood-curdling curse. Smiling broadly, Nólad thought that what Donyc threatened to do to the steep mountain path was rather improbable, but amusing to hear nonetheless. A second later the dark haired human appeared, rubbing his grazed hand and glaring at the elf, who quickly masked his smile.  
  
Nólad turned serious again, taking a step forwards.  
"I have to meet with my lord and the others; they will get off the mountains this evening. I leave the ranger in your care, but remember: If you harm him, you will regret it. If he has one new injury when we return, I will be most unhappy. Understood?"  
  
Donyc nodded quickly and dropped his eyes. There was no sense in reasoning with the elf now. He would be gone in a few minutes anyway.  
"Yes, Master Elf. When will you return?"  
  
The fair haired elf studied the man closely as he mounted his horse, musing that his friend had been right: These humans were not to be trusted. For a second he contemplated if he should take the ranger with him, but abandoned that idea quickly. The young man would only hinder his progress, especially in the condition he was in now. He would have to trust Donyc to keep his word.   
Ignoring the little voice inside his head that started to roar with laughter at that, he said,  
  
"Tomorrow in the morning, I think. Remember my words and make sure the sentinels stay on the posts we have assigned them. It is important that no one enters this valley without our permission."  
  
Donyc nodded again, impatience on his face. How stupid did that elf think he was? He was perfectly capable of securing a valley, for Eru's sake!  
  
"I will, Master Elf. We will await you tomorrow."  
  
Nólad narrowed his eyes as he looked hard at the human. Sighing inwardly, he nodded at the man and spurred on his horse, deciding that he had met a multitude of orcs that had appeared a lot more trustworthy than Donyc. And they had been better liars as well.  
  
Donyc grinned and settled down to wait until he was entirely sure that the elf had left the valley. After half an hour he rose again, giving Addramyr, Gwaer and several other men that were close by a sign to follow him. This was going to be fun.  
  
When the small troupe of humans made their way back up the path that led to the main cave, Aragorn closed his eyes and tried to suppress the feelings of helplessness and fear that started to wrap themselves around his heart. He had picked up a few words today that suggested that the elf would be leaving to meet with Cornallar and his father, and when he had seen Nólad mount his horse and disappear the path they had come a few days ago, he had known that it was only a matter of time till Donyc would decide to pay him a little visit and continue their 'conversation'. He would never miss a chance just as this one, no matter what the elf said.  
  
He could hear the men enter the cavern, stumbling over rocks and small cracks in the stone and overall giving a very good impression of a horde of incompetent orcs.  
'A Elbereth, this is not fair!' he thought furiously, holding onto that emotion rather than let himself be consumed by a new wave of terror, 'Not for a second time in a week! Besides, _ada_ is less than a day away, and Legolas and the twins…'  
  
The thought of his friend and brothers fuelled the small glow of fury to a roaring fire, a fire that gave him enough strength to open his eyes and glare fiercely at Donyc who had stepped closer and was roughly pulling him to his feet.  
  
"Well, ranger," he said mockingly, smiling pleasantly at Aragorn, "We are alone once more. Just you and me – oh yes, and a lot of helpers. Simply pretend they aren't here, alright? They won't disturb us a bit, I promise you that."  
  
Aragorn gave the other man a look that was colder than the coldest lake at winter, but didn't answer. He had learned the hard way to keep his mouth shut, besides, he didn't know if he would be able to speak in a firm voice anyway. His mind was overcome with memories of the last time Donyc had looked at him like that, memories of pain and fear and terror that blocked out all reason…  
  
Some of this must have reflected in his eyes, for the man's smile grew even wider as he produced a knife and began to slowly cut open the ranger's overcoat.  
An annoyingly calm and reasonable part of Aragorn's mind noted that they had finally managed to ruin his favourite overcoat, while the rest of him was busy fighting off the panic and concentrating on Donyc's words.  
  
"Not so talkative anymore, are we, ranger? Well, don't worry, that will change soon, just remember the last time. There you voiced your feeling quite loudly after a while, wouldn't you agree?"  
  
With a quick slash he cut away the bandages, and while the dark haired human was inspecting the arrow wound and the multicoloured bruises that seemed to cover every single inch of the young ranger's chest, that detached part of Aragorn's brain stated calmly that Nólad would _not_ be pleased to see his bandages ripped like this.  
  
While Aragorn was trying very hard to pretend he was somewhere else and at the same time attempting to silence that annoying little voice, Addramyr shuffled nervously, taking in his commander's gleaming eyes and the excitement on his face.  
"You heard the elf, Donyc. No new injuries."  
  
Donyc turned around, his grip on the knife tightening.  
"Who said anything about new injuries, Addramyr? We have plenty of old ones to work with, don't you think?"  
  
When the human commander turned back to him, knife in hand and a sadistic gleam in his dark eyes, Aragorn found that there was no fury hot enough to keep the panic and fear in check that rose inside him now, pulling him into their paralysing embrace and filling his heart with darkness.  
  
  
  
  
Legolas studied the valley in front of him with a keen interest. The humans' small campfires burned brightly in the night, shining like tiny pinpricks of starlight through the dark trees. The fair haired prince shifted slightly on his tree, careful not to disturb the colourful foliage. He was quite sure that the human guards wouldn't notice him even if he jumped around like a crazed squirrel and shook every branch he could reach, but you could never be too careful.   
  
He had arrived a few hours ago, and Glónduil had been right: When one knew what one was looking for, Eskadol was quite easy to find.  
It had been easy enough to get past the sentinels, because the men had talked so loudly that even a deaf person would have been able to notice them, cleverly posted as they may have been. From their talk he had learned that his friend was being kept in the caves themselves and that he was still alive, even though several comments made his blood run cold with with worry and anger.  
  
Checking the positions of the guards once more, Legolas decided that he had waited long enough. To know that his friend was somewhere in that … cave and be forced to wait until all the men had fallen asleep, something which had taken hours, that was an experience the young prince didn't want to repeat. Ever.  
He dropped down to the forest floor, making his way soundlessly to the rock face and, careful to blend in with his surroundings as far as possible, began to climb up the stony path as quickly and stealthily as he could.   
  
While he was looking for safe spots to place his feet, Legolas mused that, if he had still needed proof that these elves were insane, it had just presented itself.   
  
'What kind of elf would chose a cave, a _cave_ for Elbereth's sake! They are as insane as you can possibly get…'  
  
Having reached the entrance, Legolas stood still, his head covered by his hood and eyes half-lidded to blend into the darkness as far as possible. The pale light of the moon illuminated the spacious cavern, and as the prince surveyed the room, he grudgingly admitted that it was the homeliest cave he had ever seen. The walls were covered by long shelves on which there lay weapons, tools, dried herbs and countless other things, and the wooden tables and sleeping places were carved and neat. Tearing himself out of his reverie, he quickly scanned the walls for openings. There were three of them. The left one he ignored, it would lead to the other caverns whose entrances he had seen from his hiding place in the tree. Quickly making his way over to the openings, he stood very still and tried to calm his wildly racing heart that was beating far too fast in his chest.  
  
Cocking his head to the right, he listened closely. He wasn't sure, and he wouldn't bet on it, but he thought he had heard the breathing of a human down that right corridor. He shrugged lightly, it was as good a bet as any. Drawing his knife with his right, he ignored the discomfort that move caused and made his way inside, gliding over the stone floor as soundlessly as an avenging ghost. If anyone had seen his face right now, he wouldn't have questioned that for a second either.  
  
After a few hundred steps he stopped and listened again; there was definitely someone in here. As he rounded a bend in the tunnel, he saw the soft glow of a torch ahead, and soon his eyes fixed on the figure of a very bored looking human who sat leaned against the wall, eyes closed and dozing lightly, his hands resting on a big wooden club. Legolas stepped closer and, taking aim carefully, let the hilt of his silver knife crash down on the man's skull, sending him into unconsciousness instantly.  
  
Stepping over the slumped body of the human, he moved over to the entrance of a very small cave. Carefully peering inside, Legolas felt how the breath caught in his throat and his whole body seemed to freeze in shock.  
  
Inside this cave was Aragorn, his arms bound behind him and secured to one of the metal rings that were set into the rock, secured in a manner that kept the young man on his toes and had to very nearly wrench his arms from their sockets. His body was slumped to the one side in an attempt to take some of his weight off his arms and stay on his feet at the same time, his chest bare and bruised horribly.  
  
'Ilúvatar, what weight?' the prince thought horrified, studying the tall frame of his human friend. He had never seen him looking so thin and frail.  
That thought seemed to bring him out of his temporary paralysis and he rushed over to the young human. Now that he stood right in front of him, he was almost afraid to touch him, afraid that he had been too late after all…   
Anxiously the prince reached out and carefully tipped up his friend's head.  
  
"Strider? Strider!" He fought to keep his voice calm and soft as he saw the bruises on his friend's face. There was a long cut as well, running over Aragorn's cheek down to his chin that looked as if it had been healing and had been opened again. Not having the time to dwell on this, Legolas tried to straighten the young man with one hand while with the other trying to get to the ropes that bound him to the ring.   
  
At Legolas' soft voice Aragorn had begun to stir, and just as the prince brought the softly gleaming knife up in front of his face to cut his friend loose, he opened his eyes, obviously struggling to focus on something. His gaze fell on the weapon in his friend's hand, and he clenched his eyes shut, recoiling from the person he though to be one of the men.   
  
"No … please …" His voice was so soft that Legolas could hardly understand him.  
  
Alarmed, the elven prince let the knife sink to his side, the ropes forgotten for the moment.  
"Strider? Estel, it is me, don't worry, I will not harm you. It is I, Legolas!"  
  
When he heard the soft, worried elven voice Aragorn opened his eyes again, confusion and carefully masked hope in his eyes.  
  
"Legolas?" he asked, blinking several times to make sure that this wasn't Nólad again or some other kind of hallucination. When his friend's image didn't shift into anyone else's, he repeated, unbelievingly,  
"Legolas? Is that really you?"  
  
The fair haired elf smiled gently, reaching out slowly so he wouldn't startle his friend again, and placed a slender hand against his friend cheek.  
"Of course it is me, reckless human. I have never been anyone else in my whole life and I don't intend to change that now."  
  
The young ranger stared at his friend with wide, frightened eyes.  
"But … Donyc … Cornallar, they said you were dead! Crushed in a cave! Elladan and Elrohir, are they…"  
  
Legolas interrupted him quickly, understanding dawning on his face. He might have known that Cornallar would find a way to inform his men of what had happened in the mountains, as well as the fact that that accursed human would promptly tell Aragorn of their "death".  
"They are fine. Both of them."  
  
When he saw the still slightly panicked looks Aragorn gave him, he placed his other hand against the side of the human's face, looking him in the eye.  
"We are fine, Estel. Cornallar and his men tried to crush us, but, as you can see, they didn't succeed. Your brothers are alive and well."  
  
Aragorn looked at him for a second longer, before slumping against the prince in relief.  
"Thank the Valar," he muttered quietly. "I thought you were dead, I thought you were all dead…"  
  
Legolas shook his head, shocked at how fragile his friend felt against him.  
"Nay, my friend, it's not so easy to get rid of us. Let's get you out of here, shall we?"  
  
The young ranger nodded soundlessly, his face pressed against the elven prince's shoulder. Legolas quickly drew his knife again and severed the rope that secured Aragorn to the wall, trying to catch his friend as gently as possible when he slid forwards as the strain on his arms was removed.  
  
"Can you walk, Strider?" he asked, steadying the human and reaching around to cut the ropes between his hands.   
"Are there any more guards? Where is that Nólad and…"   
  
He trailed off before he had even begun to cut the coarse rope that secured Aragorn's hand behind him as his gaze fell onto his friend's back that had been facing the rock wall up until now.   
  
Legolas' swallowed twice before he could find his voice again. If he had thought Aragorn's chest looked bad, then his back looked terrible. Deep cuts that still bled slightly criss-crossed his back, cuts that looked as if they had been closing and healing nicely but had been torn open again, not too long ago. Dried and drying blood covered the whole area from shoulders to waist.  
  
Legolas drew in a sharp breath.  
"Elbereth, what happened, Estel? Who did this? By all the stars in the heavens, who did this to you?"  
  
He felt the man stiffen under his touch and heard at the same time a sneering voice, a voice that he had been hearing for the past week in his dreams night after night, mocking and laughing at him.  
  
"Well, I think that would be me, Master Elf."  
  
The prince whirled around, only to come face to face with the figure of Donyc, who stood in the entrance, grinning evilly at him.   
And behind the dark haired human he could see three men, each of them pointing a loaded crossbow at Aragorn and him.  
  
  
  
  
  
**TBC...  
  
  
  
  
** _mellonamin - my friend  
edain - humans, men (pl.)  
Mae govannen, ohtar en ataramin - Well met, warrior of my father  
ada - father (daddy)  
dúnadan - 'Man of the West', ranger  
edan - human, man (sg.)  
  
  
  
  
_***grins****sheepishly* You see what I mean? I'm a responsible author, I just couldn't let you hang like this for twelve days! *looks at readers* Uhm, guys, somehow I have the feeling that you don't really appreciate that ... what are you doing with that warg? I don't think that's a good idea, folks, I think you're overreacting a bit ... HELP!  
*g* Whatever. Hope you enjoyed it, let me know what you think!   
Meaning: Review? Yes? Please? Pretty please??  
  
  
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**Additional A/N:  
  
Well, guys, I'm sorry, but the computer crashed halfway through replying to those WONDERFUL reviews, and I just don't have time to do it again. So it's either to post now without personal comments or later tomorrow with them. I'm sorry, but I can't stay in front of the screen for much longer, so please forgive me for not replying once.  
Rest assured that I loved and cherished every single one of them, and I mean that quite literally. *g*  
I will of course reply after the next chapter again, if there are any reviews. *hint hint*  
  
Thank you all so much for the reviews, they just ... absolutely make my day! It's great to know there are people out there who like your story, especially when you are in a strange country where people eat steak-and-kidney-pie, drink warm beer and drive on the wrong side of the road! Just kidding, just kidding! England is great!!  
  
Thanks again for all your support!  
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	20. Vengeance Is Mine

**Disclaimer: **For full disclaimer, please see chapter 1.  
  
  
**A/N:  
  
Well, you are a lucky bunch, did you know that? I wanted to go out tonight, but since I somehow managed to twist my knee or something during a simple run ( I swear Estel is beginning to rub off on me! *g*), I'm staying at home. So, instead of tomorrow you get this today! Great, I know... *grumbles*   
That really hurts! I never knew - the next time I need something evil and painful to do to our favourite ranger, I will just let him twist his knee...  
  
Okay, I think I'll stick to 22 chapters, so that means there will be only two more after this one. Sad sad sad, I know, but right now I'm thinking - _thinking_, mind you! - about writing another one. Perhaps a sequel with all the characters that managed to survive? LOL, in that case I'd have to think of quite a lot of new ones. *evil grin*   
We'll see...  
  
  
Very well, here is chapter 20, revised and renamed just for you! ****Originally ****it was called "The Chapter In Which Everything Goes Straight To Hell", but since there is no hell in ME - although I'll admit that a few people would definitely deserve to spend one or two eternities there! - I had to think of another name.   
It's the longest one yet, and my inability to end it sooner really annoyed me, while I guess it won't disturb you much...  
  
Everything ****gets even ****worse for our favourite elves and human, and things begin to really heat up in Eskadol. Literally. *evil grin*  
  
Enjoy and review, please!!  
  
  
  
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Chapter 20  
  
  
Legolas' first instinct was to take his knife and use it to wipe that smug look off the human's face. Fortunately, his common sense quickly returned to life, telling him in no unclear terms what a terribly stupid thing that would be.   
Gently the elven prince pressed his human friend against the back wall of the cave, sensing that the ranger wouldn't be able to stand for much longer on his own. Placing himself in front of Aragorn, he glared at the dark haired man, his gaze holding such intensity that the three humans behind Donyc unconsciously averted their eyes.  
  
"You."  
  
Donyc suppressed a sudden cold shudder that raced across his back; he hadn't known anyone could put so much and fierce fury into a single word.  
  
Covering up that feeling, he grinned at the seething elf in front of him, the knowledge that his men could kill the fair haired being before he had even taken more than two steps giving him a certain feeling of security.  
  
"Yes, me, Master Elf, or should I say Prince Legolas? Can you still remember me?"  
  
Legolas scowled, only the slumped body of his friend behind him preventing him from lunging at the man.  
"Of course, Donyc. Where is Addramyr? Did you really think I would forget the man that kidnapped my friend and let his men build the fakest looking camp of all time?"  
  
The human commander's grin faded a little at that. This one was just like the ranger; he didn't know when to keep his mouth shut.  
"Careful, elf, I would be very careful. If you don't want to end up like your friend, I would advise you to hold your tongue."  
  
The elf's eyes seemed to flare up at that.  
"You did this."  
  
It was a statement, not a question, a statement made so coolly that Donyc got suspicious immediately.  
  
"Yes, of course, Master Elf," he said mockingly, peering around the elf to get a look at Aragorn, who was leaning against the wall, barely conscious. "He is quite stubborn, but I'm sure you know that. It takes quite a lot to make him scream, but, in the end, he does, just as loudly as everybody else."  
  
If Donyc had expected the elven prince to attack him or at the very least curse him in every language he had ever encountered during his long life, he was disappointed.  
Instead, Legolas closed his eyes shortly, and an aura of intense fury seemed to spread from his lithe figure, filling the whole space of the tunnel and causing shivers of fear to run down the men's backs.  
  
After a moment, the elf opened his eyes again, and Donyc looked into the coldest pair of blue eyes he had ever seen, eyes so cold that they reminded him of the clear sky on a winter's day. Eyes that held not a bit of mercy when they fixed on the human's face.  
  
Legolas pierced the man with his gaze, and, as much as he wanted to, the dark haired human just couldn't avert his eyes. He was forced to keep looking at those cold, cold eyes that spoke of nothing but death.  
  
"I will kill you for this, Donyc," Legolas said softly, but his voice was clear and chilled the men to their bones. "On my own honour and that of my house I, Legolas Thranduilion of the House of Oropher, swear to you that you will die for what you have done to him."  
  
Donyc still gazed at the seemingly calm elf in front of him, and, in a moment of astonishing clarity, he realized that he spoke the truth. If the elf should ever get the slightest chance, he would do as he had just promised, and the last thing he would ever see would be those cold blue eyes, looking at him with the promise of death in their depths.   
  
Shaking off the morbid thoughts, Donyc forced himself to a grin.   
'Well then,' he thought, still badly shaken, 'I will have to make sure he doesn't get such a chance.'  
  
"We'll see," the dark haired human said, hiding the sudden fear that threatened to freeze his limbs. "But if you don't want to find out how it feels to be hit by a crossbow bolt, you should put down that knife and hand over your other weapons."  
  
Legolas hesitated, studying the men closely. If he was fast enough, there was still a chance…  
Donyc seemed to have guessed his thoughts, for he stepped back and to the side, giving the men behind him a clear line of fire.  
  
"Don't," he warned the elven prince, "I know your kind is fast, but you're not _that_ fast. And even if you were, your little friend is in no condition to move quickly. He would die instantly. Do you want that?"  
  
The fair haired elf didn't answer, fixing his eyes unwaveringly on the humans in front of him. Donyc sighed. If this whole thing had taught him one thing, it was to never again accept an offer from an elf. Everything to do with elves was more trouble than it was worth. He raised his hand, and the men beside him shifted aim slightly, all of them pointing their weapons at the young ranger now.  
  
"Your weapons, Master Elf," Donyc said slowly, smiling at the elf, "My patience is wearing thin. If you don't want him to die, you should hand them over now."  
  
Legolas glared at him before returning the blade to its sheath and reaching behind his head to remove the quiver from his back. Donyc was right, he wouldn't be able to avoid three crossbow bolts, and neither would Aragorn. He seriously doubted his human friend was in the condition to do anything than stay upright right now, and even that wouldn't last long. When he was just pulling off his quiver, he heard a soft voice behind him, speaking quietly in Elvish.  
  
"Don't. Please, my friend, you can still escape."  
  
Legolas half turned and looked at Aragorn, who had forced his eyes open once more, leaning against the wall for support. His silver eyes were clear and determined though as he looked at his friend.  
"Don't let them catch you too," he added, "Get out of here."  
  
"Be quiet, Estel," Legolas replied, removing his quiver and bow from his back, "You must be delirious. There is absolutely no way I'm leaving you here alone."  
  
"Legolas…"  
  
"Hush, human," the elf said sternly, "I said no. I am not returning to your brothers bearing the news that I left you here. I am not leaving you behind."  
  
Donyc waved his hand impatiently, gesturing at the two friends. Although he didn't understand what they were saying, it was not too hard to guess.  
"Touching, really. Your weapons, Master Elf, now."  
  
Legolas turned around and stepped forwards, out of the cavern, handing one of the men his weapons. He fixed his eyes on Donyc's grinning face and once again wished for nothing more than to be able to throttle him.  
'A Elbereth, he is going to pay.'  
  
The human commander studied the elf in front of him; it was truly surprising how easy it was to get someone to comply when one threatened his friends. And this time it had been even easier than he had first thought. He gave one of his men a sign to step closer. When the elf saw the human approach with a length of rope, he stiffened and tensed his muscles, clearly unwilling to let himself be bound like that. Donyc sighed softly.  
Why did these elves have to make everything so difficult?  
  
With two quick steps he had reached the ranger's side and, pulling his head up by the hair, placed a dagger at his throat.  
"Don't make me hurt him," he said threateningly, locking eyes with the elf and regretting it instantly when a wave of pure fury seemed to blaze up in those silver-blue eyes. "For everything you do, he is going to pay. Understood?"  
  
Legolas glared at the dark haired human, but allowed the other men to step closer, search him for concealed weapons and then bind his hand tightly in front of him. During the whole time it took them to do this he didn't take his eyes off the dark haired man, something that Donyc didn't seem to enjoy at all.  
  
Once Donyc was sure that the elf was bound tightly, he let go of the young man's head, who shot him a good reproduction of the glare the elf had been giving him the whole time. The human commander wondered idly if that was a trait you picked up when you lived with elves.  
  
"Well, ranger, this is getting old, wouldn't you agree? This is the second escape attempt in less than a week. Don't you remember the 'conversation' we had about this the last time?"  
  
Aragorn gave no outward reaction, but the small flicker of fear in his eyes was not lost on the other human.  
  
"Ah, I see you remember," Donyc said, chuckling evilly. "But I am not a cruel man."  
  
At this point Aragorn had to stop himself from laughing uproariously. He was quite sure that his body would quit on him if he tried, and he knew from experience that Donyc had no sense of humour whatsoever.  
  
Oblivious to his captive's thoughts, Donyc continued.  
"Besides, I promised to let you live, and I am a man that keeps his promises. But still – I can't just ignore this, can I?"  
  
The human commander patted the ranger's cheek, and Aragorn recoiled as far as he could, loath to let himself be touched by this man. He looked into Donyc's dark eyes and frowned in confusion. The sadistic sparkle was still there, but, somehow, it was different this time…  
  
The second Donyc started to move, Aragorn understood what the man was going to do.  
"No!!"  
  
His shout echoed through the cave the exact same moment the other human reached the elven prince and let the hilt of his knife connect with the side of the elf's head.  
Brilliant stars seemed to explode in front of Legolas' eyes, and as he sank to his knees, unable to stay upright any longer, he wondered dreamily whether it had been a mistake to remove Elrohir's bandage.   
'Probably,' the annoying voice noted dryly, 'It might have absorbed some of the blow.'  
  
The voice was about to say more, but just then something connected with his ribcage and sent him crashing against the wall. Through the hammering pain in his head he heard someone utter a small cry of pain, and, while he curled in on himself and tried to protect himself from the blows that rained down on him, he realized with odd detachment that that someone had been him.  
  
With his arms bound in front of him there wasn't much he could do, and he was helpless to avoid the punches and kicks, and he concentrated only on breathing and staying conscious, something which was becoming nearly imposible, especially since a second blow to his head sent him to the very brink of passing out.  
  
Suddenly, after an eternity, it stopped and Legolas heard agitated voices talk somewhere close to him, but he just couldn't understand them. What language were they speaking? It didn't sound like any language he knew, but then again, he didn't understand a lot right about now…  
  
Aragorn watched in horror as Donyc and two of the men began to hit and kick his friend, and they didn't even stop when their captive was on the ground, his attempts to protect himself growing weaker quickly. Struggling desperately to free himself from the firm grasp in which the third man held him, the young man gave up soon, deciding that even a hobbit child could probably hold him back right now.  
"Stop it! Donyc, stop it, for Eru's sake!!"  
  
The human commander just grinned at him and aimed another kick at Legolas, catching him in the ribs and eliciting a moan of pain from the elven prince. Aragorn stared at his friend with mounting concern; he shouldn't be hurt so badly already, he must have been injured when he had arrived here.  
'Stubborn elf!' he thought furiously, his fear for his friend's well-being turning into irrational anger, 'When this is over, we will have to have a serious talk about this!'  
  
Taking a deep breath and swallowing his pride, Aragorn tried again.  
"Please, Donyc. Let him go. It is me you want, not him. I beg you!"  
  
The human turned at that and motioned his men to stop as well, glee on his face.  
"Would you repeat that, ranger?"  
  
Aragorn clenched his teeth and glared at the man, grey eyes flashing with anger and hatred.  
"Please let him go. He has done nothing to you."  
  
Donyc seemed to contemplate this for a second, before grinning evilly at the young ranger .  
"Sorry, boy, but what I told him goes for you too. For everything one of you does, the other is going to pay. If you try to escape, he is paying the price for your actions."  
  
"No! Stop it!" Aragorn pleaded, trying to wriggle out of the man's grasp to get to his friend's side.  
  
Donyc turned around to kick the elven prince again, but just as his boot was about to connect with his captive's side, a hand closed around his arm, pulling him back.  
  
"What is it?" Donyc asked furiously, glaring at Addramyr who had appeared on the scene followed by a few of his men.  
  
"Remember the elf's words? Cornallar said not to harm that one when we met him in the forest," the blonde human nodded at Legolas who was still on the floor, eyes closed and gasping for breath, "Or he would be 'displeased'. I don't know about you, but I don't want to see that happen! He won't be happy that we had a bit of fun with the ranger, but if you injure the elf further, he will be furious. Let it be enough."  
  
Donyc clenched and unclenched his fists, looking very much like a child that had just lost its favourite plaything. After a few seconds he nodded his head slowly, ignoring the way Aragorn's shoulders sagged in relief.  
"You are right. There is no need to infuriate our employer."  
  
He gave Legolas one last kick before stepping in front of the ranger, grabbing his chin tightly.  
"This is not over yet, boy. Tomorrow the elves will be back, and I'm sure I will find a way to continue with this 'conversation', if not with him, then with you. Count on it."  
  
Aragorn gave the human the fiercest glare he could manage, pushing aside all the pain and fear he felt at the moment.  
"You are right. It is not over, not by a long shot."  
  
Donyc's eyes seemed to darken even more at that, and his hand shot out and caught his captive across the face, causing the cut to start bleeding again.  
"Hold your tongue, ranger," he growled threateningly.   
  
With one last look at the defiant fire in the young man's eyes, he let go of his chin and stepped out of the small cave, giving the men a sign to follow him.  
Turning back to Addramyr, he told him,  
  
"Make sure they are bound tightly and secure them to the rings. Post a guard and take him," he nodded at the slumped body of the guard Legolas had knocked out, "With you. We will have to have a little talk with him once he wakes up."  
  
Giving Aragorn a friendly smile, he added,  
  
"Sweet dreams ranger. I will see you tomorrow, that I promise you."  
  
He turned and disappeared down the tunnel, followed by all of his men except for Addramyr and the man that still restrained Aragorn. Donyc's second-in-command nodded at the man who gave the young ranger a hard shove that send him crashing to the ground. Grabbing Aragorn's still bound hands, he ignored his soft moan of pain as his numb arms were yanked around and checked if the bonds were still wrapped tightly around the young man's wrists and forearms. Satisfied with what he saw, he grabbed the rope one of his companions had left behind and secured Aragorn's arms to the lowest ring, tugging at the ropes to make sure they would hold.   
At the same time Addramyr had grabbed the still stunned elven prince and dragged him over to the rings, ignoring his feeble attempts to resist. Seeing that there was not enough space, he left about two feet of rope between the prince's hands and the ring so he could sit on the floor next to Aragorn and still be secured to the same metal ring.  
  
The two men stepped back, and Addramyr gave both of them a smug smile.  
"Much better," he said, nodding his head.   
  
Telling the guard in no unclear terms what would happen to him if one or both of them should escape, he turned and walked off into the direction of the main cavern, dragging Aragorn's former guard with him and mumbling under his breath how terribly annoying those elves could be. Not to mention the ranger, he was almost as bad as them.  
  
The guard gave Aragorn and Legolas a stern look.  
"Behave. You won't like what will happen if you don't."  
  
Aragorn waited until the guard had retreated back into the tunnel before turning huge, worried eyes on his friend.  
"Legolas? Are you alright? I am so sorry, _mellonamin_, 'tis all my fault…"  
  
His elven friend smiled slightly, wincing as that minute movement caused his lip to burst open again and trying to ignore the very tempting urge to lose consciousness. Opening his eyes carefully, he tried to reassure his friend.  
"I am fine, Strider. Just a little blow to the head, nothing more."  
  
The young ranger looked at the prince as if he had just stated that he had decided that Donyc was a really nice person.  
"'Just a little blow to the head'?? Valar, Legolas, that has got to be the understatement of the century! You weren't well to begin with! How many ribs are broken?"  
  
Legolas glanced at Aragorn, who had a determined, indignant look on his face, scolding him for getting himself injured. Sighing softly, he decided that all three sons of Elrond were behaving far too much like their father for their own good.  
  
"Two," he lied smoothly, but when he saw the _look_ on his friend's face, he amended quickly. "Very well, three. Perhaps a few more now."   
  
Giving Aragorn an evil look, he asked,  
"How many of _yours_ are broken?"  
  
The young human averted his eyes, finding a sudden, keen interest in the ceiling. It was really a rather fascinating ceiling, he decided, all these cracks in the rocks were just…  
  
"Well?" Legolas' voice prompted, drawing him out of his survey.  
  
He returned his eyes to his friend and grinned sheepishly.  
"I don't know. A few, I'd say."  
  
The elven prince's eyes darkened at that.  
"Donyc did that? For an escape attempt?"  
  
Aragorn nodded and suppressed a shiver of fear.  
"Yes. It is quite hard to get away when there are elves around, you know. He grew quite agitated when I wouldn't do what he wanted."  
  
When his friend raised a questioning eyebrow at that, he added, softly,  
"Beg. He wanted me to beg him to stop. I … just couldn't. I couldn't do it, although he made me wish that I had rather soon."  
  
Legolas' heart clenched in fury when he saw the pain in Aragorn's eyes. He would make sure he somehow got the chance to fulfil his promise; he would make sure the dark haired human regretted having ever laid hands on his friend.   
The elf reached out with his bound hands and put his fingers under Aragorn's chin, lifting his head until their eyes met.  
  
"Listen to me, Aragorn. I am here, and I will not let him hurt you again, not while I'm still alive and have some strength left to prevent it. I promise."  
  
The young man smiled at him, switching his speech to Elvish.  
"I know, my friend. Thank you. But don't use my name again, please. It is not safe."  
  
Legolas winced and cursed himself for his own carelessness, musing that he had probably got hit harder on the head than he had thought.  
"I know, Strider, I'm sorry. Your father told me that you would be in danger if Cornallar ever found out about your lineage, though I don't know why."  
  
Aragorn smiled wryly, carefully leaning back against the wall.  
"Well, I can tell you. We have some free time at our hands anyway, so I can tell you everything from the beginning. And then you can tell me how it came that you and my dear brothers very nearly got buried in a cave. And where they are."  
  
The fair haired prince nodded.  
"Agreed. But you go first."  
  
Aragorn grinned.  
"Stubborn elf."  
  
"Reckless human."  
  
Some hours later, they had told each other what had happened those past two weeks, having earned many unbelieving looks from the other. Legolas had almost laughed out loud when Aragorn told him - highly embarrassed - that he had fallen off a tree, while the human had to stifle a fit of hysteric laughter when Legolas told him about the journey under the mountains with a horse that wanted to kill his brothers.  
  
The elven prince studied his friend's face closely, noting the way his eyelids began to drop yet again. Giving Aragorn a stern look, he pressed him back against the wall.  
"You need to rest. You will need all your strength tomorrow. And I have to think of a way to get us out of here."  
  
Aragorn nodded slowly, much too exhausted to be able to quarrel with the elf. He closed his eyes, and it became silent for a while, until he opened them again and fixed tired silver eyes on his friend's scratched and bruised face.  
"Legolas … would you do me a favour?"  
  
Legolas looked at him, hiding his surprise.  
"Anything you want, Estel. You know that."  
  
The young ranger dropped his eyes to the floor and blushed slightly.  
"Would you … sing to me? I haven't heard a song in ages, that's at least what it feels like. I miss it, it reminds me of other places, of ... home."  
  
The elven prince smiled softly and nodded earnestly.  
"Of course, my friend. What would you like to hear?"  
  
Aragorn was about to shrug when he remembered that his body wouldn't thank him for that movement.  
"I don't care," he mumbled sleepily and closed his eyes again, "As long as it's not the 'Fall of Gil-galad', I don't care. I don't think I could stand that right now."  
  
Legolas chuckled softly.  
"Very well, I shall sing a song about one of your forefathers, Eärendil the Mariner. I heard it from a hobbit in Mirkwood, about thirteen years ago. He had read about him somewhere in Rivendell, I believe… But that's a different story," he added as he saw Aragorn's eyes open again, a sparkle of curiosity flickering in their grey depths.  
  
"Sleep, Estel," he said and drew the human's head down on his shoulder, "Listen to the song and sleep, and if anything unfriendly disturbs your dreams, I will be here."  
  
The young ranger didn't protest, and soon the sweet, clear sound of Legolas' voice filled the small cavern, singing of conquered darkness, love and hope and chasing away all feelings of helplessness and fear as Aragorn swiftly fell asleep.  
  
  
  
  
Elrond looked at the well concealed mountain path, his anxiety growing by the second. He wasn't afraid of what might happen to him, he was afraid of what he would find once they reached their destination. Neither Cornallar's gleeful hints nor Nólad's furtive pitiful glances had helped him to get rid of that feeling.  
  
Nólad…   
To be honest, Elrond had been surprised when he had seen the fair haired elf yesterday evening, waiting for them at the mountain's foot.  
'Why?' a small voice asked. 'He has been Cornallar's friend ever since they met each other as elflings, so what did you expect? As long as you can remember he has been loyal to him, following his every order. Why does it surprise you now?'  
  
The Lord of Rivendell shrugged inwardly, studying the elf that rode in front of him. True, he had always been loyal to Cornallar, but he had never been the kind of person that just followed orders blindly, without thinking about the consequences. Or about the reasons for said orders, and he had been perfectly capable of coming to his own conclusions about right and wrong in the past. So why was he following Cornallar now?  
  
Elrond straightened his shoulders and manoeuvred his horse closer to that of the fair haired elf. This was something he had learned very early in his time as Lord of Imladris: If you don't know something, then ask. After doing everything in your power to obtain said knowledge, of course, including bribery and threats.   
As Glorfindel would say: Elf lords do not appear clueless in public; very special circumstances excluded.  
  
'Well, these are definitely special circumstances,' he decided and rode up to the other elf, making sure Cornallar was at the head of the column and wouldn't be able to overhear them.  
  
Nólad seemed to stiffen when he noticed the elf lord approach him, keeping his eyes straight ahead. Elrond narrowed his eyes and studied him closely.  
  
"How is he?" he asked finally.  
  
The other elf looked at him at that, light grey eyes locking on dark grey ones.  
"The human? He is alive," he said slowly, searching Elrond's eyes for something. A small smile played at the corners of his lips when he found what he was looking for.  
"You really care about him," the fair haired elf said quietly.  
  
Elrond nodded without hesitation.  
"Of course I do; Estel is my son by all but birth. He is … a very special person," he said with a soft smile, clearly remembering an incident long past.  
  
Nólad agreed silently; the ranger was anything but ordinary.  
Elrond looked at him again, frowning slightly.  
  
"Why? Why do you follow him, Nólad? I can still remember what you were like in Imladris, this is not like you! Surely you see that this course of action won't solve anything? It will not help chase away the images, nor give your hurting souls the peace you seek."  
  
The fair haired elf simply looked at him, sadness on his eternally youthful features.  
"But he believes that, and nothing you, I, or anybody else says could change his mind now. It is far too late for that, and you know it, my lord."   
  
Elrond noted that Nólad used that title without any of the hatred or contempt that seemed to mark every single one of Cornallar's sentences. The only thing that he could sense about him was a weary acceptance.  
  
The elf lord opened his mouth to say something, but Nólad shook his head, silencing him.  
"No, Lord Elrond, please don't. I know that it is wrong, that all of this is wrong, but I cannot help you or the ranger. He is my liege lord, and my friend."  
  
Elrond looked him in the eye, and when he saw the pain, despair and quiet determination shine brightly in their depths, he relented with a sigh.   
Nólad would never be able to turn against his lord and friend, not after all these years.  
  
"Then you must do what you think is right," he said quietly.  
  
The fair haired elf looked pained at that, but was spared from answering when Cornallar's voice sounded from the head of the small line of riders.  
  
"Finally, Peredhil: We are here. Just a few minutes now and you'll see your little human son. Isn't that wonderful?"  
  
Elrond closed his eyes shortly, repeating once again all the reason there were for not killing the dark haired elf.  
'Think of Estel, think of Estel, think of Estel…'  
  
It was truly a good thing that they had finally reached the elves' home, he mused, he really didn't know for how much longer he would have been able to restrain himself from doing something drastic to his former advisor. Something involving throttling him. And that was just for starters.  
  
While they were riding through the small valley called Eskadol as he had learned, he barely had eyes for his beautiful surroundings. Consciously prying his closed fists apart, the Lord of Imladris took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. Elbereth, if anything had happened to his son, he would never be able to forgive himself…  
  
Finally they reached the rock face, and much to his surprise Elrond saw that it was dotted with the dark entrances of caves that loomed black and dark, standing out sharply against the grey surface of the rock.   
'Caves?' he asked himself, flabbergasted. 'Well, _this_ is extreme, even for Cornallar…'  
  
He surveyed his surroundings, and quickly counted the men present. Thirty-seven, he finally decided, those who had accompanied him on his way over the Misty Mountains already included. Those were not good odds. But then again, he'd had worse. Shuddering when he remembered the last battle of the War of the Last Alliance, the battle in which he had lost his friend and king, he nodded grimly. He had seen and survived odds _much_ worse.  
  
His mind spinning as he tried to come up with a plan, he dismounted and searched for Cornallar. He found him a second later, standing next to a human with dark hair and eyes that were as cold and lifeless as the rock he leaned against. Elrond stepped closer, not willing to wait any longer.  
  
"Where is he, Cornallar?"  
  
The dark haired elf looked up and smiled at him, a smile that seemed to light up his whole face. Elrond suppressed a strong feeling of dread. This was not a good sign.  
  
"Calm down, _my lord_. Five minutes will change nothing, the game will not end just like that."   
  
Cornallar turned to the dark haired man and nodded at him.  
"Bring them out."  
  
The man grinned evilly and turned into the direction of the caves, calling out a few names and ordering the addressed men to follow him.  
Elrond looked at his former councillor, who had drawn one of his knifes and was idly turning it over in his hands, and asked himself only one thing: '"Them"?'  
  
  
  
  
Legolas nudged his friend slightly, growing even more concerned than he had already been. Aragorn was far too tired and had slept far too long. He had only woken once in the morning, when the boy had come to visit them.  
  
  
_Legolas cocked his head to the side when he heard the unmistakable sound of an approaching orc that was trampling through the tunnel, nearing their position. He frowned in thought for a second, how was that possible? Not even Cornallar would work with orcs, would he? Trying to peer into the corridor, the elven prince gently shook his friend awake, careful not to touch any of his injuries, which was quite hard, since every bit of skin he could see seemed to be covered with either a cut or a bruise. Or both. Legolas clenched his teeth again as he watched Aragorn struggle towards consciousness, pain he was quick to hide clearly visible when he opened his eyes.   
He would get Donyc for what he had done to his friend.  
  
The soft voices of two humans could be heard in the tunnel, and soon the footsteps of one man drew closer. Had this one made the noises? If that was the case, then he truly __was __the clumsiest human the prince had ever met. Legolas glanced up and looked into the face of a child – a young human, he corrected himself hastily, he couldn't be more than two years Aragorn's junior – who was looking at them with wide eyes, carrying something that looked like Aragorn's overcoat and shooting Legolas frightened glances.  
  
The boy stopped, suddenly uncertain what to do.  
"I … brought you this," he said finally. "Addramyr's orders. He doesn't want the elf to see what happened right away."  
  
Legolas glared at him, which caused the young man to literally shrink under his gaze.  
"How very thoughtful of you," he said acidly.  
  
Aragorn shook his head slightly, smiling at the boy.  
"It is alright, Legolas. Seobryn only does what he is told."  
  
A few moments later, the young ranger once again wore his overcoat, and it had even been quite easy to put it on, even with his arms bound behind his back, considering the way it was slashed at most places. That pleased the elven prince; he hadn't missed the way Aragorn had shivered with cold last night. The young man turned to leave again, but the Aragorn's soft voice stopped him in mid-motion.   
  
"Seobryn," he called quietly, causing the boy to turn back to them, wiping a strand of brown hair out of his eyes with a nervous move of his hand. "Listen to me. If you want to live, then leave. Leave now."  
  
Seobryn looked at the young ranger in shock.  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Aragorn leaned forward slightly, his eyes boring into the other man's.  
"You know that the elves will be arriving today. Whatever happens after that, you don't want to be involved, believe me."  
  
"But my uncle…"  
  
Aragorn interrupted him, shaking his head firmly.  
"He doesn't matter. Addramyr's anger is nothing compared to the wrath of the elves that will descend on all those who are involved in … this. They will be coming for the elf your employer is meeting with, and they will punish every single one of those responsible for any harm that should have befallen him. Listen to me, Seobryn: Seize this chance and leave. Get as far away from here as possible, and forget those past seven years. Do that and you may live. Stay, and you will die with the rest of them."  
  
Seobryn looked at him with wide eyes, fumbling for words and failing. With one last look at the ranger and the grim looking elf he turned and positively fled the cave.  
  
Legolas raised an eyebrow at his friend.  
"Did you have to scare him like that?"  
  
"I didn't try to scare him," the young human replied, letting his head sink back in exhaustion or pain. "I mean what I said. He doesn't want to be involved in all this, especially not if you are right and Celylith, my brothers and the rest of your men arrive here."  
  
"They will probably not make it in time."  
  
Aragorn smiled resignedly.  
"I know."  
  
Legolas shook his head, glaring at his friend.  
"Don't you dare give up hope now! We will get out of here, somehow! I just need some more time to think, that's all."  
  
"Oh, if that's all…" his human friend mumbled sarcastically.  
  
"Ungrateful human!" the fair haired elf muttered ironically. "Don't forget that I came to rescue you!"  
  
Aragorn let his eyes wander over their small prison, from ceiling to wall to floor and back up. Raising a mocking eyebrow, he replied,  
  
"Oh. Yes, I forgot. Thank you."  
  
Legolas followed his friend's eyes around the cave.  
"Don't mention it," he said wryly, grinning at the ranger.  
  
Aragorn smiled back, his eyes drifting shut again. The elven prince leaned back and pulled the man back with him, leaning against the wall.  
"Rest a little more, Estel. I will wake you should anything happen."  
  
The young human wanted to reply that he seriously doubted that, but before he could utter a single word, sleep once again claimed him, and he relaxed against the wall, his head falling on Legolas' shoulder once more._  
  
  
Legolas nudged the ranger again. Someone was coming. Aragorn stirred and opened bleary silver eyes.  
  
"What is it?" he asked tiredly, his word slightly slurred.  
  
"They are coming," Legolas informed him softly, placing his bound hands on his friend's shoulder in a reassuring way.   
"Remember: We will get out of here," he said quietly just before the men reached them.  
  
Aragorn gave a small, insincere smile, his eyes fixed on the cave entrance, a small shudder racing down his spine that had nothing to do with the cold air in the cave. Legolas grimaced sympathetically. He wasn't looking forward to seeing Donyc again either, and he had only seen him twice yet.   
'You won't be seeing him more often,' a small voice inside his head noted. The fair haired prince balled his hands to fists. Indeed not, for he would kill that human soon…  
  
He looked up when he heard mentioned human greet them with far too much joy in his voice.  
"Good morning! Or should I say good day? Well, it doesn't really matter, the view in here is somewhat lacking, don't you think?"  
  
Legolas decided that that was the first thing he agreed on with the human commander.   
  
Unperturbed by the friends' silence, Donyc continued.  
"Very well, let's get moving, shall we? They're here, and we don't want to let them wait."  
  
He gestured at two of his men who stepped forward and undid the ropes that were securing the elf and ranger to the ring, pulling them upright. While the elven prince straightened up quickly and tried to shake off the man's hands, Aragorn sagged slightly, and only the human's firm grip on his arm prevented him from falling back down again.  
  
The human commander grinned evilly at the young human, taking his arm from the human and pushing him forwards.  
"Not feeling so well, are we, ranger?"  
  
Aragorn didn't reply; he was far too busy trying to stay on his feet. He very nearly fell down several times as they descended the steep path leading down into the valley, and by the time they had reached the humans' camp, he felt ready to drop. Trying to give Legolas a comforting smile, he struggled to keep up with Donyc as he steered him into the direction of a big tree under which a camp fire flickered, gleaming and lightening the gloomy day.  
'Great,' he thought sarcastically, eyeing the tree, 'Another one.'  
  
Just under the tree stood a small group of people. He recognized Addramyr, Gwaer, several other men he had … met in the course of the past week, and a boy with wavy brown hair that looked scared out of his mind. Aragorn sighed softly. Why hadn't Seobryn left while he had still had the chance?   
When they came closer, the young ranger could see that there was Nólad as well, and next to him stood Cornallar. He suppressed a shiver of fear; he really hadn't wanted to see the dark haired elf again. Ever. Aragorn narrowed his eyes, behind the elf there was someone else, almost completely concealed by Cornallar's tall figure. That someone seemed to glare daggers at his elven captor, but turned and looked into their direction as he heard them approach.   
  
Aragorn's heart seemed to skip a beat when he realized whom he saw.  
"Father!!"  
  
"Estel!" Elrond made a move as if to rush forwards, but was stopped before he had moved more than two inches as Cornallar grabbed his arm and nonchalantly placed the dagger he had been playing with against the elf lord's chest. Elrond shortly tore his eyes away from his human son and gave the other elf a fiery glare. If one looked closely enough, one could almost see the tiny bolts of lightening shoot out of his eyes.  
  
"Estel!" he repeated, fixing worried eyes on his youngest child, who looked as if the only thing that kept him upright was brutal grip of the dark haired man whom he had seen earlier.   
  
'That must be Donyc,' Elrond decided, clenching his hands into tight fists. His fury reached new, unheard-of dimensions when he studied the young human more closely. Aragorn looked far too thin and pale, and every bit of exposed skin seemed to be either cut or bruised. The boy still wore his now slashed overcoat, and Elrond was sure that it hid even more injuries.  
  
The young man stumbled slightly, and was roughly pulled back to his feet by the other man. Automatically Elrond tried once again to break free, whether to get to his son or to strangle the human commander, he wasn't quite sure himself. Cornallar's tightened his hold on his arm, and the knife started to dig into Elrond's skin.  
  
The elf lord turned and glared at his former advisor.  
"What have you done to him, Cornallar?" he asked in a barely controlled voice, his eyes positively burning with fury. "You will regret this, I promise you that…"  
  
Before he could say more, the small group had reached the campfire, and Donyc stopped a mere ten feet from them. It might as well have been ten leagues, Elrond mused dryly. Aragorn looked so young now, so very much like the child that had somehow found his way into Elrond's heart, and the Lord of Imladris wanted nothing more than take the young human in his arms, telling him that everything would be alright as he used to do when the boy was younger.  
"Estel, are you alright? Please, answer me, my son!"  
  
Aragorn turned worried silver eyes on his foster father and gave him a slight smile, trying to reassure him.  
"I am fine,_ ada_. Thank the Valar you are as well! I'm sorry, I should have listened to you and been more careful…"  
  
Elrond had just opened his mouth to tell him that there was absolutely nothing to be sorry about, when his eyes fell on a lithe figure he had overseen in his immense relief to see his human son alive.   
  
"Legolas?" he asked, unbelievingly, staring at the battered Prince of Mirkwood, who gazed back, looking somewhat guilty. "You … but how? My sons, are they…"  
  
The fair haired elf shook his head quickly, interrupting the elf lord.  
"No, my lord, they are fine. Your sons live."  
  
Elrond closed his eyes for a second, feeling almost dizzy with relief. Elrohir and Elladan were alive, and so were Legolas and Estel, Ilúvatar be praised…  
  
Cornallar's mocking voice interrupted his short prayer of thanks as the dark haired elf stepped closer to the elven prince, having assigned the duty to guard the Lord of Rivendell to two other humans.  
"What honour! The Prince of Mirkwood, in my humble home…"  
  
The elf trailed off when he noticed the darkening bruises on Legolas' face. He turned to Donyc, anger darkening his eyes.  
"I thought my orders had been unambiguous, Master Human. I told you not to harm him."  
  
The human commander shuffled nervously, avoiding the elf's gaze.  
"Well, he tried to free the ranger and …"  
  
Cornallar ignored the human, turning back to Legolas.  
"We will talk about this, Donyc. Later. But you, my prince," he gave the younger elf a mocking half-bow, "I should have known you would find a way to return for your little _edan_. Although I have to say that I'm impressed; I hadn't thought anyone could get out of that alive. So the other two made it out as well? I have to admit, I don't really care."  
  
Legolas gave him a cool stare.  
"I don't leave my friends behind, Cornallar. If you had any honour left, you would understand that."  
  
The dark haired elf only looked at him, shaking his head slowly.  
"You are just like him, son of Thranduil. Tinánd wouldn't listen either when I told him what would come to pass if he insisted on mixing with that accursed human."  
  
"Then your son was wiser than you will ever be!" Legolas shot back, heatedly. "If you still think that the race of a person is all that matters, you have truly lived your life with your eyes closed and your heart dead."  
  
Cornallar scowled at him and took a step to the side, grabbing Aragorn by the coat and dragging him closer, ignoring Elrond's renewed attempts to get to his human son's side.  
  
"Yes, my heart is dead, prince! Dead because of the weakness of his race! Can't you see it? Look at your precious human! He will die anyway one day, and if you're not careful, he will take you with him! I am actually doing you a favour in getting rid of him!"  
  
The dark haired elf was about to say more when he felt his right hand close around something small in the ranger's pocket. He turned his eyes on the young human who was desperately trying not to show the panic that was slowly beginning to creep up on him.  
"What is that, ranger? Are you hiding something from me?"  
  
He motioned Donyc to hold Aragorn in place while he searched his pockets, paying no heed to the young ranger who was trying to pull away.  
  
"What have we got here?" he asked, his curiosity sparked as Aragorn tried to escape his grasp, now nearly desperate, only to be held back by the dark haired human commander.  
  
"I'm really hurt, _dúnadan_. You should know me well enough to know that I am no common thief, and I think…" Cornallar's mocking voice trailed off as he inspected the small object he had retrieved from the human's pocket, turning it over and watching closely as the sparse sunlight caused the gleaming metal of the ring he held in his hands to sparkle.  
  
"It's not possible," he whispered in shock, his eyes fixed on the beautiful piece of jewellery. He ignored the questioning glances Donyc shot him and grabbed the ranger's chin, staring into Aragorn's eyes as if looking for confirmation of something he had found out surprisingly seconds ago.  
  
Letting go of the young human after a few seconds, Cornallar started to chuckle quietly, a sound that caused all those present to shiver more or less openly.  
He opened his eyes again after a few moments, shaking his head in amusement.  
  
"Ah, you never know what the future holds, do you?" he asked, forcing himself to calm down again. "Now everything is much clearer. No wonder our revered Lord of Rivendell took you in, you are kin from afar, after all. I might have known, you look just too much like your ancestors, and even take more after _him_ than Elendil's older son… Which makes the whole affair even more enjoyable, of course."  
  
The elf's hand closed tightly around the silver ring as he stared at the young ranger, looking at him with burning hatred and as if he had just received an unexpected, but very welcome gift. Aragorn glared back, attempting not to think of what Cornallar would do to him now that he knew who he was. There were things he really didn't wish to contemplate, and he had the nagging suspicion that imagination might not do the real thing justice in this case.   
  
The dark haired elf turned, still smiling slightly, and walked over to Elrond, who looked even paler and grimmer than before.  
"How very fortunate, wouldn't you agree, Peredhil? Now we are all here, all those who this concerns. I have truly underestimated you; your pieces are much more than they appear to be at first glance. And I even begin to understand your hesitation to sacrifice this one," he nodded into Aragorn's direction. "He is the last of your brother's line, isn't he? And he is, several generations removed, the nephew of the _edan_ who was responsible for the death of the only person I had left of my home. This whole little get-together has just become a lot more interesting, just consider all the possibilities…"  
  
Elrond shook his head, trying to ignore the two men that held him back, silent fear in his eyes.  
"Please, Cornallar, let him go. He has done nothing to you, and neither have his forefathers. Even if they had, he is not them, you can't hold him accountable for what happened millennia before his birth. Leave him out of this, I beg you. Take me instead; it is me you want."  
  
Aragorn looked at his father with wide eyes.  
"_Ada_, you can't be serious! Don't…"  
  
The elf lord interrupted the young man sharply, his eyes still fixed on the other elf.  
"Be still, Estel. Not another word."  
  
Cornallar watched the Lord of Rivendell smiling, noting the growing desperation in his eyes with amusement.  
"How touching, _my lord_. And so very noble, too. You were right, you know," he said jovially, jumping topics so quickly that those present could barely follow his train of thought, "One cannot plan for every eventuality, and, to be honest, I would never have thought to get so lucky. I certainly hadn't planned for this, but there's something else that makes a good player: Flexibility. I wanted to make you suffer like I do, and then, just before you died, I wanted to see the look in your eyes when I killed your precious little human. But I think I have found another way that will be much more fun."  
  
He gave Elrond another smile and motioned Nólad to step closer.   
While the fair haired elf was making his way over to his lord, Elrond tried to ignore the looks of horror on his son's and Legolas' faces and to come up with a way to make Cornallar see reason. Despite his anger and fury he didn't really want to kill the other elf, at least not before having made sure he had done everything in his power to find another solution.  
  
'Well, he will kill you soon, so better think quickly,' a small voice in his head noted. He grimaced inwardly. That was exactly what Glorfindel would have said, after telling him "I told you so!" in every language he knew. And the golden haired elf knew a lot.  
  
Watching the insane light that shone even more brightly in Cornallar's eyes now, Elrond realized with a heavy heart that he wouldn't be able to convince his former advisor to do anything but what he had already planned in that twisted mind of his. The other elf was far beyond reason by now.  
  
Cornallar grinned at his companion that had slowly pushed his way through the throng of humans that crowded around the hot fire.  
"Well, _mellonamin_, it is time that for you to have some fun as well. You see, _Lord_ Elrond, originally I hadn't prepared for your little son, but for you. Do you see your sword?" he asked, turning to look at the elf lord.  
  
"Well, in case you don't, it's in the fire. By now it should be quite hot, don't you think? Hot blades tend to give someone nasty burns, as you well know, but for an elf they are hardly life-threatening. With a human though," Cornallar looked shortly into Aragorn's direction, shooting the young man who was obviously struggling to regain control over his emotions an evil smile, "It's an entirely different thing. They are so much less resilient than our kind…"  
  
"Don't you dare, Cornallar," Elrond growled, struggling with his guards who had problems holding the irate elf lord back, "You are a coward, nothing more! Do you need to pick on children now?"   
He shot the other elf a threatening glare that would have had Sauron thinking twice before doing anything rash, his fear for Aragorn reaching indescribable heights.  
  
On the other side of the camp, Legolas renewed his attempts to free himself as well, with just as little success, while the young ranger seemed to have frozen in place.  
  
Cornallar wasn't impressed by his words.  
"That may be, _my lord_," he said, his dark eyes fixed unwaveringly on Elrond's increasingly desperate face, "But sometimes you have to use rather ugly tactics to obtain your goals. Another thing you will never understand. Nólad," he said without turning around, "Now it's your chance to enjoy yourself a little. Get the sword."  
  
The fair haired elf swallowed once, obviously trying to calm himself. He closed his eyes shortly, taking a deep breath, before opening them again, his face blank.  
"No."  
  
His friend blinked twice, as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard. Slowly turning to face the other elf, he asked unbelievingly,  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
Nólad met the dark haired elf's burning gaze calmly.  
"I said no," he said, his voice stronger now. "I cannot do what you ask, my lord, I'm sorry."  
  
"You betray me," Cornallar said, a hurt look flashing across his face.  
  
The other elf took a step closer, his eyes pleading.  
"No, my friend, I am not betraying you! I do not turn against you, I never could and I never will. I simply cannot do as you ask. It is wrong, don't you see that? All of this is wrong! I lost many of those I loved as well, but I will not, I cannot be a part of this."  
  
"You knew," his friend accused him, his eyes darkening with burning fury, "You knew who that whelp was, and you didn't tell me! If that isn't betrayal, then what is, _my friend_?"  
  
Nólad nodded slowly, for the first time lowering his eyes to the ground.  
"Yes, I knew, I won't deny that. I knew you would kill him – slowly – should you ever find out, and I couldn't let you do that."  
  
"Why? Why not? What has caused you to betray me like this?"  
  
"I have never agreed with your methods, Cornallar, and you know that," the fair haired elf explained insistently, willing his friend to understand him. "If you want to kill them, then do so, but do it quickly. They are not just some _edain_ or orcs or foul things like them! And if you don't see it like that, then think of Tinánd! I knew him, and so did you. You know he wouldn't have wanted any of this, least of all the death of one of his best friend's kin. He might have changed after he met Anárion, I'll grant you that, and I don't know if for better or for worse, but even before that time he would not have wanted you to do this! Don't force me to be part of something which my very heart tells me is wrong!"  
  
Cornallar stepped up to the other elf until they were only inches apart.  
"This is your last chance, Nólad. Obey me now, or face the consequences."  
  
His friend shook his head sadly.  
"I am not your enemy, my lord, and I never will be. This isn't just black and white. I will not hinder you in any way, but I will no longer follow your orders in this matter. This is the wrong way, your son wouldn't have wanted it, and it will not help any of us. Their souls are beyond our reach now, and I know that more bloodshed will do nothing to appease mine."  
  
The dark haired elf stared at him for a second as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard. When Nólad didn't make a move to change his mind, Cornallar's dark eyes narrowed, his whole body speaking of an intense fury and a feeling of deep betrayal. His face contorting into a mask of pure rage, he struck out with his right, catching the fair haired elf just under the jaw and sending him tumbling backwards where he crashed against the tree, sliding down the trunk stunned, staring at his friend with unbelieving eyes.  
  
"You are wrong, _mellonamin_," he spat, glaring at Nólad full of contempt, "Those who are not on my side are against me! You will regret your betrayal, you can be sure of that!"  
  
He turned back to his captives.  
"But now to you, ranger" he said, eyeing Aragorn full of hate.   
  
Fixing his eyes on Donyc who looked entirely confused by now, he asked,  
"Whose side are you on, Master Human? Choose quickly!"  
  
Donyc gave his employer a cautious smile, tightening his grip on the young man who once again tried to wriggle out of his grasp. No, he decided, no money was worth all this. Elves…  
"On yours, of course, Master Elf. We want to get paid, after all. Besides, I would never miss entertainment such as this."  
  
He gave Gwaer a sign to get the sword out of the fire for him.  
"I will be very glad to assist you in any way I can."  
  
Cornallar gave a satisfied nod and watched with relish as Aragorn was finally unable to school his expression any longer and stared at the human who was nearing the campfire, about to pull out the hot blade.  
"Afraid now, are we, boy?" the dark haired elf asked softly, grinning evilly at him. "You should be."  
  
Elrond made another attempt to break free, and one of the men placed a knife at his throat, thoroughly annoyed now with the resistance their captive was putting up. As the elf lord felt the dagger dig into his neck, re-opening the healing cut there, he reluctantly stilled his movements to avoid slashing his own throat.  
  
"Don't do this, Cornallar, I beg you! You have to see that this isn't right!" he pleaded, his eyes on Gwaer who had grasped the sword's hilt and was pulling it out of the hot ashes now. Taking a look at the other elf's gleaming eyes, he tried again.  
"Please, Cornallar, he is just a boy. He has nothing to do with all this, let him go."  
  
Behind Aragorn and Donyc a small scuffle broke out, but was ended rather quickly when Addramyr rammed his elbow into Legolas' ribs, very nearly sending him to his knees in pain. The young ranger himself didn't seem to notice any of this, his eyes fixed on the red-hot sword that the man carried round the fire, a gleeful look on his face.  
Cornallar watched the whole scene with amusement, virtually drinking in the fear and despair that radiated off the Lord of Imladris.  
  
"Oh, he has _everything_ to do with this, _my lord_," he said mockingly, watching the human approach the young ranger who had finally snapped out of his trance and was now trying to squirm out of the human commander's grasp, but was far too weak to put up anything resembling a fight. "He is the piece you wanted to protect at all cost, and, right now, you have manoeuvred him into a corner from which he will not escape. How does that feel, Peredhil? You are about to lose all you have, as you said. The game's up. I win, and you lose."  
  
Aragorn had stopped listening to the elf's tirade about ten threats ago, his mind filled with terror and increasing disbelief. This was _not_ happening to him, he decided. It was not fair, Elbereth, it was not fair… As he watched Gwaer come closer, the hot sword blade now only a few feet away, he finally gave up struggling and began to accept the fact that he was going to die, here, now, today, at the hands of this crazy elf and his cronies.  
  
'The only thing I regret is that _ada_ and Legolas have to watch it,' he told himself, oddly detached from what was happening around him. 'No, that's not true,' he amended after shooting a quick glance at Cornallar's sneering face and his father who was still trying to argue with the other elf, 'I regret dying in the first place. I wish I could see Elladan and Elrohir one last time, I still haven't apologized to Elrohir and who knows what Elladan's hair looks like right now…'  
  
With effort he averted his eyes from the approaching form of the human and fixed them on his foster father, trying to put all his love for him into one long look, smiling at the elf lord who had fallen silent and was staring at him with wide eyes. Behind him he could hear the sounds of Legolas who was desperately struggling with his guards, trying to free himself, without success it appeared. He closed his eyes shortly, remembering the many good times they had had together.  
  
'Stubborn elf. He will get himself killed one day, without me to look after him.'  
  
He opened his eyes again as he felt the heat of the blade come closer, vowing not to let them see how afraid he really was. Donyc tightened his grip on him, but Aragorn didn't try to escape; he knew it would be futile. Fixing a fierce silver glare on Gwaer, he watched with some satisfaction as the man dropped his gaze to the floor, until his head snapped up and his eyes grew wide.  
  
Aragorn frowned, only now realizing that the human had been propelled back a few feet. His numbed brain tried to find the reason for this, and for the swishing sound he had heard only seconds earlier. He watched as Gwaer slowly let the hot sword sink down to his side, his fingers seemingly opening on their own account to let it fall to the ground clashing loudly. The man's other hand slowly travelled to his chest where a dark arrow protruded from his heart, touching it as though he couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing. Slowly, his body lost all tension and he dropped to the ground, his body hitting the grass with a dull thud.  
  
For a heartbeat or two, it seemed as if the world had frozen in place as men and elves alike stared at the dead man in their midst and the arrow that had hit him with such deadly accuracy. Then the paralysis seemed to lift as everybody jumped into action at once.  
  
And that was the moment everything got completely out of control.  
  
  
  
  
  
**TBC...**  
  
  
  
  
_mellonamin - my friend_  
_ada - father (daddy)  
edan - human (sg.)  
dúnadan - 'Man of the West', ranger  
edain - humans, men (pl.)  
  
  
_  
  
***coughs* Ah well, what can I say? I love cliffies! I couldn't do anything, really, I just _had_ to do it! It was my alter ego, she made me do it again, I'm sorry! *grins evilly* But I had soooo much fun writing this... Okay, so the next chapter should be here on Sunday, I think, and, finally, Cornallar, Donyc and all the other bad guys will get what they deserve! Yay!!  
Oh, and: What about a review to keep me suitably motivated? Let me know what you think!? Please please please???**  
  
  
  


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**Additional A/N:  
  
**Midnight Loner - *g* Yeah, you're right, they are a bit like Superman... *imagines L/E/E in spandex costumes* Uh, distracting picture here!! Well, I can't tell you who will arrive when, you'll have to read on - it's quite obvious now, though...  
E - *hurt look* What, you don't like my cliffies? Why not?? Well, see? Elrond's here, right here - although probably not very happy right now... And I agree: Glónduil and Donyc ARE stupid. Both of them. But hey, I needed a few idiots! Glónduil is a real moron, and in due time Donyc will find out just why it is not wise to anger an elf. Not this chapter, but we're getting there.  
Pernauriel - Well, there are quite a few people I know who hate Marmite as well, but what's the slogan again? 'You either love it or you hate it.' How true... And hey, I quite enjoy driving on the left side here, although I still think that a sadist invented shifting gears with the left hand... Or a left-handed person... *g* Thanks for the review, everybody (well, not everybody, but quite a lot of them) _will_ get home in the end. More or less in one piece.  
CrazyLOTRfan - *looks at the ground* I know, it's not normal - but I absolutely LOVE cliffies!! Love them, love them, love them.... *coughs* Sorry about that. That was _her_ again, just ignore it. Well, great you still like it, and we can't have you go mad, can we? The next bit is here, yay!  
Reginabean - *raises eyebrow* I take it you liked the cliffy then? That was a shout of approval, wasn't it? *g* And don't scream so loudly, we can't have all those gorgeous elves arive yet - that would spoil the whole thing! *evil chuckle* Ah, I'm so evil...  
Analia - Awww, thanks... *blushes* I'm glad you like it. Okay then. *pulls out a long list* Analia: Tear Donyc apart, slowly... *looks up* I decided to start a list, there are actually quite a few ... interesting ... suggestions for what to do with Cornallar and Donyc. Well, I will see what I can do!  
Alisha - *stares transfixed at dagger* Ohhhh, nice and shiny.... Can I have it? I like daggers! *g* Ignore me, my knee hurts which makes me grumpy which makes me say weird things... *grins* Did I? I took you by surprise? Great! I had so feared that everybody would stand there after chapter 15, yelling: "It's Glónduil, that bastard!" Yeah well, it was kinda obvious, wasn't it? But Legolas just attracts trouble! It's part of his character, and who am I to change his character? (even more than I already have, that is... *g*) Well, as I said in the A/N, there will be two more chapters, but they will be quite long. I thought about writing three, but then there would be 23 chapters. 22 looks much nicer. *shrugs* I'm weird, I know. Thanks for the review!!  
Kereberos - *continues writing her list* Kereberos: Kill Donyc, slowly and painfully, involving lots of pain. Got that. Well, don't worry, our dear human commander won't survive the next chapter! Mhahahaha!! *runs away cackling evilly*  
TrustingFriendship - You want me to let Elrohir avenge himself on a horse? Well, don't you think that's a bit ... well, beneath him? And the horse wasn't really evil, it was just incredibly annoyed. Besides, my sister would kill me if I'd harm the horse, she loves horses... And don't worry, help's on the way, but will it arrive in time? Mhahaha!! (God, I've got to stop doing that... *g*)  
Pessimistic Drip - *nods and hands her a cookie* Right you were. It _was _ Glónduil, that stupid little... Okay, I won't go into that right now... Don't worry, Celylith will be fine, I need someone to eventually save them, huh? Yay! Constructive criticism! *blushes* God, I _knew_ it sounded funny! Thanks so much for telling me, it helped me avoid making the same mistake again in ch. 21. And 'this' and 'that' and 'it' always kind of confused me. *shrugs* You get that in every language, I guess. I am by no means insulted or anything, how shall I learn when no-one (hey, it IS 'no-one' here, isn't it?! *g*) tells me what I'm doing wrong? Thanks a lot for telling me! *huggles her* It really helps!  
Mouse - Awww, come one, it would have been worse if I had posted _this one_ before I left, wouldn't you agree? Besides, I am rather proud of the chapter 19/20 cliffies. *shrugs* Well, I'm just evil, I guess. Don't worry, I think I will indeed let out dear elven prince have a little 'conversation' with that ... human. A very long, very bloody conversation...  
JoX5 - *grins happily* Great you like it so much! Thanks so much for the review, it's always nice to hear that people actually like what you're writing, weird as it may seem... *g*  
Firnsarnien - Well, actually, no, I didn't take lessons! I'm a natural I think, the born sadist you could say... *g* Hey, I don't need to leave England to be able to write! We have computers here, too!! *g* I'm writing as fast as I can, really!! Don't worry, the story will be finished in about a week, what do you think? That's soon enough? *hugs her* Thanks for all the reviews!  
Ciria - Chemistry? Poor you, I've always _hated_ chemistry. I hope it went well for you? *shudders* Well, Marmite and Bovril... It's better not to know, dear friend. There's some things that are too scary. Well, I am visiting some friends, and we're doing lots of things, like going to London - frequently. I love that city! *g* Yes, well, the horse could hail from their village, couldn't it? But it's an elven horse, so probably not... *raises eyebrow* Well, it was of course Legolas who said that, there were only the three of them. Well, yes, Legolas was the only person who could ride that horse, plus he wanted to get to Aragorn asap, of course. *gives her weird looks* You are _really_ obsessed with that blonde elf, aren't you? *shakes head* Her again... Well, Estel will point out the parallels between Eskadol and Mirkwood, if not in this story, then probably in the next. *wide-eyed* Uh, interesting ideas! Really! Sorry, I have something slightly different in mind, I hope that's okay with you... *g*  
LOTRMatrixStarwarsFan - *waves* Hi! Nice to see you again! *grins evilly* Well, yes, a bit of torture never hurt, did it? (Legolas/Estel/Elladan/Elrohir/Elrond: YES IT DOES!!!) 'Previous outburst'? When was that? I can't remember, but I am not sadistic! I'm ... just different... *g* Hmm, German is quite ... harsh. Ugly. Rough. However you want to call it. Huh?? Germany drew with whom? To be honest, I have no idea what you're talking about, I never liked football. We could have lost all matches since 1990 and I still wouldn't have noticed... Eek, SARS? Poor you, you are not really infected are you??  
One15 - Was schlimmes passieren? Bei mir? Wie kommst du denn _darauf_?? Also wirklich... Na ja, ein wenig Geduld muessen die beiden schon noch beweisen, aber keine Angst, Hilfe kommt schon noch! *murmelnd* Irgendwann auf jeden Fall... Und du kommst aus dem Sueden, sehe ich, deinem Suedstaatenslang (Ah, muss man Bully nicht einfach lieben??) nach zu urteilen? Na ja, und wie gesagt: Ich denke gerade darueber nach, Ein vager Plot formt sich langsam in meinem verdrehten Kopf, aber da muss ich noch einiges recherchieren! Tja, hoffen hilft bei einglischem Wetter nicht viel. *vielsagender Blick auf Regen* Aber na ja, danke fier den Versuch. *g*  
Miss Undastood - Oh, come on, it wasn't THAT long, was it?? Uhm, the horse doesn't have a name. I didn't want to introduce too many unfamiliar names, but maybe I'll think of one, in case I write a sequel. Ack, Marmite crisps? That's even worse, but I do have to admit that I like the salt-and-vinegar-ones...  
Zam - *g* Another one of your parties? Yay!!! So _you_ invited the goblins? That explains a lot, I never figured out just why they appeared on my doorstep one day, demanding to be put in the story... Wow, so you have an orc horde _and_ a demon pony? Life's just not fair, all I have is a balrog, okay, and a warg, but Fred doesn't really count... Well, to be honest, I had always planned to have Glónduil 'betray' them, it wasn't your fault - not this time!! Ack! Zam, that's just DISGUSTING!!! I liked that scene very much, and now I want to throw up every time I read it... *pats Zam and Lina on the back* Don't worry, I will not kill Celylith, and I'm angry too! I liked Laener as well! *shaked fist* Damn you, C&S!! Well if you want to marry Nólad, then you will have to get in line, I'm afraid. Ciria is quite taken with him as well... *coughobsessedcough* *sighs tiredly* Why did I know you would say that? HE IS NOT GAY!!! He's a sadist, but not gay! Jeez, you'll be the death of me... *g*  
Darkphoenix - It may be cruel, but it's not usual - at least not for me! (*giggles* 'Cruel and unusual punishment...') Well, at the moment I'm not doing much *grumbleStupidKneegrumble*, but I'm here to visit some friends, go to London a lot more often than I should, and, generally, have fun! Yay Nili! And, yes indeed, I am still writing the last chapter. And then I will try to think of another story, I think, all this is soooo much fun!!  
Xsilicax - *g* Well, considering that I AM in the south of England, that won't be so far... *g* West Essex counts as south, doesn't it? I agree, the weather has been great. Past tense! Now it's positively aprilish... *grumble* Hmmmm, I like Shepherd's Pie, Mint Sauce and driving on the left side of the road, but I HATE Bovril, Marmite, warm beer and Steak-and-Kidney-Pie. _Kidneys_, for Christ's sake! *grins proudly* See? I told you I was a responsible author, but, ah, this one's a cliffy as well and... *shrugs* Sorry. It's the english food, it's making me mean! And even eviller than I was before!! J/K!! *g*  
Isadora - Well, English or not English, that is the question! Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to.... Sorry, TiO hat mich mit ihrem Shakespeare-Getue angesteckt. Ich bin ueberaus geehrt, dass ich die erste aller deiner reviews bekomme! *verbeugt sich* Danke! Nun ja, ich weiss nicht, ob es mutig ist, es war so 'ne Art voruebergehender (oder nicht ganz so voruebergehend!) Wahnsinn. Ausserdem weiss ja keiner wer ich bin, und DAS hilft ungemein! Yay, ein Hoch auf die Anonymitaet! Tja, mein Hauptziel hier ist eigentlich Freunde treffen und Spass haben! Danke fuer die liebe review!!   
Elladan - *grins evilly* Quite easily, actually... I just ended the sentence and put the three most-hated letters of the FF community under the text: TBC. Mhahahaha!! *cackles evilly* Well, I'm so happy you like the story, I will try to post the last two chappies as soon as possible! Promise!  
ThE iNsAnE oNe - LOL, poor Elrohir! So confused! Here, baby, have some more menfil berries... *g* Yes, wargs are quite useless, aren't they? Fred sr. got beaten to a bloody pulp by a poodle yesterday!! He just doesn't like fighting... *wide-eyed* Uhm, you don't like Donyc then, I guess?? I have no idea why, he is a noce chap ... put down that dagger, I was only joking!! Really!! Well, yes, I agree, Nólad is kinda stupid as well, but he had to leave. Why? Because I said so! And I needed a cheap excuse for more Estel-torture!! Mhahahaha! You really _should_ calm down a little, you are beginning to frighten my characters, and how shall Legolas help Estel when he is to scared to come off that blasted tree? *g* Glad you like that little line, that's just something I would say. And because I'm not in that story (Estel: Thank the Valar!!), Legolas has to say such things... Thanks so much for the huge, funny, hilarious and highly motivating review! Your new story's great btw, but I still demand more of ITB!!!  
Kaeera - Na ja, noch nicht direkt zurueck, aber wieder online. Das macht alles wieder wett! Hey, magst du etwa X-Men nicht? Ich mochte Wolverine! Er war cool - und gutaussehend, aber das tut natuerlich nicht zur Sache... *g* Tja, das Pech-Faktor-Pendel hat die Hoechstmarke von 10 gerade ueberschritten und naehert sich unaufhaltsam der 15! Arme kleine Babies... *schuettelt Kopf* Nie tun diese beiden Elben was man ihnen sagt! Einfach entsetzlich! Was habe ich denn noch hier in der Tasche? Yorkshire Pudding, exzellent... *fieses Grinsen* DU solltest auch mal updaten, ansonsten habe ich noch etwas koenstliches Haggis (*wuerg*) fuer dich...  
Alexa - *g* You could say that! Here, this is as fast as it gets! I hope you still like it!  
Alilacia - *nods head* Finally, a sane person. Marmite and Bovril are just disgusting. Well, the weather WAS goog. Now it's just aprilish. No, you are right, Legolas is a very unhappy elf at the moment. And I shudder to think of what he would have done if Glónduil had actually refused to tell him... I don't even want to know! *evil grin* Yeah well, Donyc is evil, but that's part of his job, I'm afraid... And well, you can't feed him to the wargs, at least not now. I need him for two more chapters, but after that, you can do what you want with him. Thanks so much for all your great review!! *hugs her* Thanks!!  
Saint - *embarrassed* Okay, I admit it! I LOVE tormenting my readers! I love it love it love it love it... *takes deeo breath* My alter ego again. Sorry. *g* Okay, ah, a wild rampant goldfish? Well, I've been threatened with all sorts of creatures, but this is new! Sound scary though, so: Here's the next bit! And a bit of Legolas-torture is indeed included!  
Arahirien - Well, thanks! I'm glad you like it, and this update is as fast as I can possibly write! Thanks for reviewing!  
Shandrial - Oh, that's okay, RL has the tendency to demand some attention from time to time. It's great you still like it, thanks for not forgetting about me!  
Belle - *smiles* This is soon enough for you? To be honest, I am getting quite concerned about you, your college sounds like a really weird place. Are your profs supposed to be green? Our are red from time to time (with anger, that is), but green... *g*  
Aralondwen - *grins proudly* Yes indeed, I AM evil!! I am very evil, I LOVE being evil! Mhahahahaha!! *shakes head* Gosh, I really need to do something about that maniac laugh... *starts typing like mad* Uh, we can't have you get sick! I'm typing, I'm typing! Ghe next chapter's here!! See?  
Imbefaniel - Cool! A real longbow? I've shot myself, but with the 'normal' bows they use for tournaments and stuff. I am not bad, but it's not the same as a real bow... *sigh* Well done you!  
B.B. - Uhm, did I kill you? In case I did, I'm sorry. I only mean to torture my readers, not kill them... Don't worry, it will all be over in a week, do you think you can bear the suspence that long? Well, you don't get a choice, do you? Mhahahaha! *runs off cackling evilly* Thanks so much for the review!  
Aurienia - *broad grin* Thanks so much! I'm glad somebody likes my weird sense of humour - my family doesn't, that much is such... *g* *pulls out long list* Okies, let Legolas squash Donyc to marshmallows. That's a new one, got it... *ducks behind her chair* Jeez, calm down! It was only a cliffy - and because you liked it so much, here's the next one!! Have fun!! *runs away laughing evilly* I feel sorry for your family, I really do... You too? Zam calls Cornallar 'Corn-puffs', and you call him 'the Corn'! You are impossible. But then again, when I plan the chapters, I call him ED, short for Evil Dude. *shrugs* Whatever.  
Marbienl - Oh no!! He is NOTHING like Gríma Wormtongue! Really, Marbienl, he isn't that bad, is he? He is a bit stupid, but not really that seduced-by-evil-kind of person! I agree with you though, 5 minutes are more than they's need... Well, about the spider: That's actually a bit like something I'm still thinking about. Perhaps he will keep one. We'll see. Yeah, Donyc's logic is kinda weird, isn't it? Not to mention evil, of course... He'll get what he deserves. Don't worry, he will...  
Acacia - *whistles innocently* Oh, not much more, there are only three chapters left, anyway. There is not enough time to do anything to him ... nothing serious, anyway... *g* Yummy, curry!! Definitely better than Marmite! Thanks for the review!  
Froggy - Phew! You're not dead! That's good to hear! I'd hate losing a reviewer... *g* Well, here's the next bit, we wouldn't want to die for real or anything! Thanks for reviewing!  
Nikara - *blushes* Thanks so much for saying that! It's not that good, though... Yes, I agree, good stories are hard to find. Why don't you try Lina Skye, HaloGatomon, The insane One, Cassia&Sio, Acacia, Alilacia, Marbienl, Kaeera .... God, there are so many good authors here! An absolut must-read is Jocelyn, if you're a Legolas fan. Her stories are amazing!  
Saige - Yes indeed, at least poor Estel has some company now. That's something, isn't it? I'm so happy you like it so much, I hope the suspence was not too much for you!!  
Mommints - The Mummy! Of course, I _knew_ I had seen your name before! I'm not really into the Mummy or anything, but I like the movies and check out the FF.net page about once a month. *g* Don't worry, the next bit is already here! See? You can stop your pacing, sit down and read it! Great, huh?  
TrinityTheSheDevil - Well, that's an interesting name! *shuffles nervously* I like cliffies! I'm sorry, but I really do... *hastily* See? Update! Within the time limit!! *eyes Gandalf's staff nervously* See? See?? No need to whack me! Thanks for the review!!  
  
**Wow, this is getting longer than the actual chapter! Well, perhaps not longer than this chapter, but still... *g* Thanks so much for all the lovely reviews, and sorry again for not replying to the last lot.**  
  
  
  
  



	21. Endgame

**Disclaimer: **For full disclaimer, please see chapter 1.  
  
  
**A/N:  
  
Ok, first things first: DIE, FF.net, DIE!! It took me two days to convince FF.net to let me update. We hatesss it, yes we doess, preciousss.... *coughs* Uhm, okay, sorry for the delay. I didn't do it on purpose, no, really, I did not. Honestly. Okay, on to the A/N...  
  
It's too long!! *wails* It's long enough for two chapters, for crying out loud!!  
  
*sniffs* Sorry about that, but it is _far_ too long. I hate it when that happens, it just proves that I have no control ****whatsoever**** over the plot...  
  
But okay, since I want it to be 22 chapters, not 23, this chapter is even longer than the last. Hey, it's not my fault! I had no idea it takes so long to kill people - right now I feel very much like a mass murderer! And to kill them in believable ways (I'm sorry, but all the people who wanted Legolas to squash Donyc to jelly or marshmallows or similar things will be disappointed, I'm afraid *g*) takes even longer!  
  
Very well, I know you are really _not_ interested in this right now, so I'll shut up. Oh, and thanks for all your good wishes, the knee's better. Still hurts though, I have to think of a way to do that to Estel... *evil grin*  
  
  
Here is chapter 21 folks, so there's only one left!  
But don't cry, we have lots of death and destruction, lots of pain**,** lots of fussing over each other and a little bit of angst, too! *g*  
  
Have fun and review, please!  
  
  
  
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Chapter 21  
  
  
Legolas stared at the body of Gwaer, desperately trying to figure out what was going on here. One moment he had been watching the man approach his human friend with mounting horror, the next Donyc's lieutenant had been lying on the wet grass, an arrow imbedded between his ribs.   
  
Time seemed to stretch as the whole camp was too surprised and shocked to react, and Legolas noticed with detached amusement that the men all around him were looking very much like fish on dry land, their mouths open as they gaped at their fallen comrade.  
  
His mind still trying to come to terms with the sudden change in events, the elven prince realized that he knew that arrow. It was a beautifully carved dark shaft, decorated with small wreathing flowers that were inlaid with a different, pale golden wood. It was a design Legolas knew only too well, having used those arrows quite a few times himself, even thought they were usually not used for hunting and that sort of thing.  
  
'The twins,' he thought with an inward sigh of relief and a small smile, 'And just in time for a dramatic entrance, as usual.'  
  
Considering the fact that the younger twin's collarbone was broken, even thought he tried to deny it, it had probably been Elladan who had fired that well aimed arrow. Besides, the fletchings were just a tiny bit too long, something that Legolas had been telling the older twin for centuries, but Elladan stubbornly refused to listen to him, claiming that Rivendell arrows were _supposed_ to look like that.  
  
The man next to him blinked slowly, clearly tearing himself out of the trance. Legolas realized that this was probably the only and best chance he would get, and it was a chance he was unwilling to let pass by. Using his elven speed that was far superior to that of his two guards, he slammed his bound hands into the face of the human to his right, before spinning on his heel to face the other man.  
  
His quick actions were all the humans needed to shake off their short-lived paralysis, and the camp exploded into confused action as humans ran for cover to escape the arrows that began to rain down on them. Legolas crouched down and, with a swift kick, took the feet out from under his other guard, throwing him hard to the ground where he remained, eyes closed and motionless. The fair haired elf hastily grabbed the man's knife and began to saw away at the bonds that bound his wrists, contemplating shortly if he had killed the human by throwing him that hard onto the ground, and, just as the ropes fell away, he came to the conclusion that he didn't really care.  
  
As quickly as his hurting body would allow Legolas sprang to his feet, side-stepping a human that almost knocked him over as he scrambled for cover, and assessed the situation. Since Elladan's arrow had killed Gwaer, no more than a minute had gone by, but that had been enough to throw Donyc's men into complete chaos. The humans tried to defend themselves against the rain of projectiles that seemed to come from every direction, aiming blindly at the trees that surrounded the small glade.   
  
Quickly retrieving his former guard's second knife, Legolas searched the scene in front of him and soon found Lord Elrond, who just let the hilt of a dagger crack down onto a man's head, a grim expression on his ageless features the prince had never before seen on the older elf's face. Satisfied that the Lord of Rivendell was more than capable of defending himself, he frantically searched the chaotic camp for signs of Aragorn or his captors.   
  
Flattening himself against the tall tree as an arrow missed his face by inches, Legolas cursed angrily, trying to stay calm. Neither his human friend nor Donyc could be seen. As he tried to decide which way Donyc would have taken, the humans' actions grew more frantic, and Legolas looked up to see several elves materialise seemingly out of thin air at the edge of the small wood that enclosed the clearing, a Mirkwood habit that never ceased to annoy Aragorn.  
  
The prince smiled grimly; his men had arrived at last. His head swivelled to the right when he heard a familiar voice cry an elven command.  
  
_"N'lava sen usin!"_  
  
Legolas' eyes came to rest on Celylith's face, and he was surprised himself how fierce his silver haired friend looked. One could easily forget that the elf's dark blue eyes could turn the colour of coals when angered and that his playful antics belied his strength in battle.   
  
Celylith ducked a stray arrow as he moved in to intercept the first humans that came rushing up to him.  
"Don't let them escape!" he repeated, eyes flashing angrily. "Try not to kill them, but, by Elbereth's stars, make sure none of them gets away!"  
  
His heart lighter than it had been in days, Legolas moved to the side as a human came running at him, causing the man to rush past. Before he could stop his momentum, the elf's hand shot out and grabbed him by the arm, slamming the man into the tree easily. He let go of the limp human, raising an eyebrow.  
'Handy things, trees,' he mused, 'Especially for things like these.'  
  
Out of the corner of his eyes he noticed a flash of activity to the left of the scattered ashes of the campfire, and, frowning, he turned his head just in time to watch Cornallar walk up to Elrond, the still scorching hot sword in hand and a indescribable look on his face. His features seemed to have frozen into a mask of pure hatred, and his burning eyes did not leave the elf lord's face for a second. He pushed through the humans that were scattering in all directions in their attempt to repel the elvish attack, concentrated only on the goal of getting to the other elf.   
  
Elrond clearly saw his approach, which would've been impossible to miss since Cornallar seemed to be the only being that didn't run around in confusion but who moved purposefully and stealthily, like a predator finally moving in for the kill. The dark haired elf lord's attention seemed to be diverted though, for he kept staring right past the approaching elf, his eyes fixed on something behind Legolas' back.  
  
Turning quickly, the elven prince surveyed the woods behind him, and soon he found what had caught Lord Elrond's eye: A few hundred yards up the sloping mountain path his sharp elven eyes spied five figures, hurrying into the direction of the caves. Four of them seemed to pull the fifth with them that was weakly trying to resist. Legolas scowled deeply, unconsciously taking a step into their direction. Even from this distance, he could clearly identify Aragorn, and Donyc's face wasn't something he would forget anytime soon either.  
He clenched his teeth tightly; there was no way Lord Elrond could get to the humans before they would have reached the rock face. And he would be damned if he let them take his friend back into those accursed caves.  
  
The fair haired prince turned back to Lord Elrond quickly, locking eyes with the older elf.  
"It's alright," he yelled over the noises of the battle, "I will follow them. Don't worry, I will not let them get away with Estel."  
  
Elrond nodded and averted his gaze to fix it on his former advisor's face that was twisted with hatred now. No, he didn't worry, he thought as he watched Cornallar close the distance between them, he knew Legolas would do everything in his power to save his human son.   
  
'But, considering his condition, there is the question whether it will be enough to save either of them.'  
  
  
  
  
As he listened to the curses Donyc muttered incessantly under his breath, Aragorn decided that all of this had happened much too fast for him. The images of Nólad, defying his lord, something Aragorn would have thought impossible, mixed with those of Gwaer's confused face as he fell to the ground, and after that with the blurred images of confused humans that ran into all directions while Donyc had been dragging him away from the camp.   
He still wasn't sure what exactly was going on, and he doubted that his fuzzy brain would find an answer to that question soon. The only thing he was sure of was that he had somehow escaped the fate of ending his life as a teaching aid for Cornallar's favourite torture methods, but, considering the way things were going, that had been only a temporary delay.  
  
'Yes,' he thought as he was roughly hauled up the stony mountain path, the sounds of battle quieting down behind them, 'Donyc seems more than willing to make up for that.'  
  
The young ranger shook his head and tried to shake off the humans' hands, but his efforts were about as effective as to try and hide an injury from his father. Somehow Elrond seemed to be able to look right through you, and sometimes Aragorn was sure he could smell it when you were injured, no matter how normal you acted. It was quite uncanny, really.  
  
'Then why are you still trying?' a soft voice inside his head whispered. 'How effective is _that_?'  
  
A few moments later they stopped, and Addramyr turned to his friend, struggling for breath.  
"There's no point, Donyc," he gasped, "We won't escape with him slowing us down. Them elves are too fast."  
  
Donyc shook his head, clearly unwilling to leave the ranger behind.  
"If we can make it to the caves, we can easily hold the entrance."  
  
"And then what?" his second-in-command questioned tensely. "They have all the time they need to starve us out. In the end we will be forced to surrender and will have to give him up anyway. I for my part will _not_ be taken captive by one of his friends."  
  
He shot a quick glance over his shoulder.  
"See? They're already here."  
  
Aragorn looked past Addramyr's head, and really, still a long way away but steadily coming closer, there were about eight or nine men slowly moving up the path, engaged in a heated fight with three elves he had never seen before, although he identified them instantly as Mirkwood warriors by their attire.  
  
For a second he asked himself in confusion what they were doing here, before his tired brain reminded him of what Legolas had told him in the cave.  
Yes, of course, that must be Celylith's men, the ones Legolas had met on his way to Mirkwood. Legolas … where was Legolas? And his father? Were they still in the camp, or had at least they managed to escape?  
He needed to make sure that they were alright, that they had not been harmed…  
  
Trying to twist out of the grasp of the two humans that had followed Donyc in the first confusion, he missed the conflicting emotions that flashed across the human commander's face.   
  
The dark haired human stood rooted to the spot, his jaw clenched tightly as a vein throbbed at his temple in obvious agitation.  
He should have known it would end like this, Donyc thought furiously, it had been just too easy. Elves! That was what you got for dealing with that accursed race, they were nothing but trouble, the whole lot of them…  
  
The thought of elves, of troublesome elves, of elves that would be very angry indeed once they found out what had happened to the ranger, brought him back to the present. Risking a glance over his shoulder, he made sure that the group of fighting men and elves was still too far away to pose any real danger and turned his attention back to the younger man in front of him.   
His eyes didn't leave Aragorn's face as he slowly drew one of his daggers, but if he was looking for signs of fear in the other man's gaze, he was sorely disappointed. The young ranger didn't even blink when the sparse daylight made the steel blade gleam, he was either too far-gone to care or had got used to being threatened with knives, swords and such.  
  
'Still,' Donyc thought, grinning at his captive as he beckoned the two men to step to the side, 'I will enjoy this. Oh yes, I will enjoy this very much.'  
  
"Well, ranger," he said pleasantly, moving a step closer to the young man and taking one of his arms, "All good things must come to an end, I fear. Even though this is not quite the end I envisioned; I have to admit I had a ... lengthier 'conversation' in mind. But, unfortunately, my dear friend Addramyr is right: We cannot take you with us, no matter how much I'd like to, believe me, and we cannot leave you here. So, that leaves room for only one solution, wouldn't you agree?"  
  
He placed the dagger under his captive's chin, forcing him to lift his head and look him in the eye. Aragorn met the man's gaze steadily, his silver eyes boring into Donyc's dark ones. He had _not _begged him for mercy, the human commander had _not _succeeded in breaking him, and he would make sure the other man remembered that, even if it was the last thing he ever did.  
  
Donyc's expression darkened at Aragorn's act of defiance, and he stepped closer, narrowing his eyes.  
"Don't look so cocky, boy. The end is just the same: You die today, by my hand. And, Eru, I will enjoy killing you!"  
  
The words had barely left his lips when he heard an alarmed shout to his right, followed by two muffled thuds, and while he was still turning his head to see what had caused this disturbance, he felt himself lifted slightly off his feet and bodily thrown away from the ranger.  
  
Donyc looked up, and felt his heart freeze in sudden fear when he realized who his attacker was, something he had instinctively known before even laying eyes on him. In front of him stood the blonde elf, his blue eyes flashing dangerously.  
  
"I don't think so."  
  
The elf's voice was dark with barely suppressed fury, his long fingers tightening around the hilt of the knife he held in his hand. The motionless bodies of the two humans lay to the left of him, whether they were dead or only unconscious, the human couldn't tell. And, right now, he couldn't care less.   
Donyc felt Addramyr tense next to him, and he said, still baffled by the speed with which the elf had knocked his men out,  
  
"Well, Master Elf, what a pleasant surprise! How very nice to see you again, I was beginning to wonder if you were going to turn up at all! But, I have to admit, you are beginning to get on my nerves almost as much as that ranger friend of yours."  
  
Legolas stiffened at that, resisting the urge to turn around to make sure his friend was alright. He wouldn't turn his back to this human, if his encounters with him had taught him anything, it was that he had not a bit of honour and would not hesitate to stab him in the back.  
  
"I keep my promises, Donyc," he said coldly, piercing the human commander with his gaze. "I swore something to you, something which I fully intend to carry out."  
  
The elven prince watched the two men closely, his words causing them to hesitate just the tiniest bit. That was, however, enough for him, and just as Donyc and his second-in-command were beginning to move towards them, he moved forwards, his booted foot connecting solidly with Addramyr's midsection. The dark blonde human was thrown backward by the sheer force of the blow and tumbled down the path a few yards in a heap of flailing arms and legs.   
  
Avoiding Donyc's rushed attack, he quickly jumped behind Aragorn and cut the ropes that bound his hands behind his back. Grabbing his friend's arm shortly, he winced as the man moaned in pain at the touch and looked urgently in the young ranger's still surprised face.  
  
"Go, Strider. Don't worry about me, get down into the valley, Celylith and the others will protect you. Go!"  
  
Before he could say more, Donyc was back, aiming a vicious slash at the elven prince's face. Pushing Aragorn out of the way and trying not to think of what Lord Elrond would say when he heard that he had actually _pushed _Estel in the condition he was in at the moment, Legolas blocked the attack with his own knife and pressed the dark haired human back.  
  
He started an attack of his own, and just when he was bringing down his knife in an elegant arch, he heard a startled yelp behind him, closely followed by the ominous sound of rumbling stones. His blow went astray, and he turned just in time to see Aragorn and Addramyr disappear from view, tumbling over the side of the mountain path.  
  
"No! Aragorn!!" he screamed horrified and was about to make his way over to the spot his friend had occupied only moments earlier, when he felt a heavy body slam into him, throwing him to the ground. The fair haired elf landed hard on his side, gasping as hot pain flared to life inside his chest, reminding him painfully just why fighting with broken ribs wasn't considered a good idea.  
  
He forced himself up quickly, rolling to his feet to stand on shaky legs. Donyc had risen as well, grinning at the pale elf in front of him.  
  
"Oh, don't worry, Master Elf," the human said, drawing a second knife with his left, "It's not too deep down, they will undoubtedly survive the fall."  
  
Legolas gave an inward sigh of relief, his left arm protectively wrapped around his ribcage. How much weighted that accursed human? Right now the young elf could have sworn the man was part troll, judging by his weight.  
  
"The fall, that is," Donyc added gleefully, taking a step closer to the wounded elf, "But right there your friend's luck will run out, I fear."  
Giving Legolas a malicious smile, he added, "It doesn't matter whether you have cut his bonds or not. The ranger hasn't moved his arms in a week, he will not be able to do anything with them, let alone fight. And Addramyr is a rather skilful fighter, more than capable of dealing with him. You have only put off the inevitable. He will die, and so will you."  
  
While he was still speaking the last words, the human commander rushed forwards and quickly closed the distance between them. Legolas found himself hard-pressed to block the attack, and while he was dodging and spinning to avoid getting caught by one of Donyc's blades, he prayed fervently that Aragorn would somehow manage to escape the other human and find safety in the glade below.  
  
  
  
  
Ducking a blow aimed at his head, Elrond decided that either he himself had spent far too little time training his sword fighting abilities in the past couple of hundred years, or that Cornallar had done nothing else since he had left Rivendell three millennia ago. His former advisor had always been a good fighter, and before the days of the War of the Last Alliance they had spent quite a lot of time duelling, but never before had the dark haired elf managed to corner him so quickly and effectively.  
  
'That might be connected to the fact that he has a sword, _my_ sword by the way, and I have nothing but a dagger,' he thought sarcastically, dodging a swipe aimed at his right arm. Moving backwards slowly, the Lord of Rivendell instinctively rounded a fallen log on the ground. Risking a quick glance around, he noticed that they had become separated from the main battle that still raged in the small camp a few hundred feet behind them.  
  
Elrond had acted quickly when he had seen Gwaer fall, jumping into action at almost the exact same time as Legolas. In the ensuing chaos it had been relatively easy to overwhelm his guards, whose fighting spirit had seemed to dissipate as soon as they had looked into the elf lord's irate face.  
  
When the first Mirkwood warriors had started to appear, his whole being had been overcome with relief, and he had vowed to forgive Legolas every injury the younger elf had suffered this far and to patch him up for the next few decades without even giving him the _look_. Somehow the fair haired prince had managed to get some of his men to help, and the timely arrival of the warriors that had saved his human son was a debt he could never fully repay.  
  
Pushing aside the worry for Aragorn's and Legolas' safety, he brought the knife he had taken from one of his now unconscious guards up just in time to block a blow that would have taken his head off otherwise.  
'No,' he thought as his back touched the bark of a tree at the far side of the clearing, 'This is really not good. If I don't get some space to manoeuvre soon, this is going to...'  
  
A second, even more powerful blow knocked his hand that was holding the dagger against the tree, and before Elrond could even blink, he felt a fist close around his wrist in an iron grip, and he stared into the dead, burning eyes of his adversary.  
  
"Giving up so soon, Peredhil?" Cornallar hissed, his face contorted into an insane grimace, "That's a shame, really, I had so hoped you could watch your last pieces get taken. I have to admit, that last development was something I hadn't reckoned with, but rest assured, _my lord_, that Donyc will make sure your precious little _edan_ doesn't escape his fate, and nothing you or the dear prince can do will change that."  
  
"Fate! Who are you to decide anyone's fate?" Elrond retorted angrily, trying to free his sword arm from the firm grip it was being held in. "It is not your place to determine Aragorn's destiny, nor mine or anyone else's! You are not one of the Valar, and you certainly are not Ilúvatar!"  
  
"I don't need to be," Elrond's former councillor replied, tightening his grip on the other elf's wrist. "I merely voice some well-founded facts, and neither you nor the others will be able to thwart my plans. And now I will put an end to an episode of my life that should have ended nearly three thousand years ago."  
  
Holding the other elf firmly in place, Cornallar prepared to plunge the blade into Elrond's chest, but before he had even raised his arm halfway, he felt someone push him to the side, making him release the elf lord's wrist. The dark haired elf whirled to around, prepared to meet the renewed assault – only to let his sword sink down a bit when he realized whom he faced.  
  
"Nólad?" he whispered unbelievingly.   
  
His face darkened slowly, his eyes fixed on the fair haired elf that had placed himself between Elrond and him.  
"So you have truly chosen. You betray me."  
  
His friend shook his head, his eyes pleading, but he made no move to step out of the way, one of his hands brushing nervously over the bruise that formed on his chin.  
"Please, my friend, don't! Let it be enough! This is not the way! Look at you! Your hatred has consumed you, you turn against your own kind now! We are the _eldar_, the fact that we don't fight each other is what sets us apart from lower races! You should at least give him a real chance to defend himself! But please, Cornallar, let us just leave and disappear. No one will stop us."  
  
The dark haired elf shook his head impatiently, taking a step forwards, his eyes filled with rage that knew no reason.  
"Step aside, Nólad. How can you say such a thing? Don't you remember Tinánd? Or your brothers? They died, they all died, because of him!"  
  
Cornallar pointed at Elrond who was watching the exchange warily, catching his breath.  
  
"Because of him and his love for these accursed humans! He deserves death, as does that whelp of a ranger! Just because of who and what they are do they deserve death tenfold."  
  
Nólad's face contorted with grief, his light grey eyes filling with moisture.  
"Of course I remember them, how could I not?! It was I who found them, them and so many others, slaughtered by the foul things! By orcs,_ mellonamin_, orcs, no one else. Sauron's evil destroyed them, and there was nothing anyone could have done to prevent it."  
  
The elf gave his friend a sad smile and, for the first time since that dreadful day on which both of them had lost what they had treasured most, he quietly said the words he always had wished to utter to comfort his friend.   
"It was not your fault."  
  
The other elf's eyes seemed to gleam with an unearthly light at that, but if one looked closely enough, one could see the pain and doubt linger in the background. He stepped closer and grasped Nólad by the shirt, his sword still in hand and oblivious to the fact that the hot blade slowly began to scorch the fabric of the other elf's tunic.  
  
"My fault? _My fault?_ Traitor!! How dare you even think such a thing, I swear I will kill you for this…"  
  
Cornallar tightened his fingers on the shirt, and he swung around to slam the fair haired elf against the tree, switching positions with him. Nólad opened his mouth to reason with his friend, but before he could articulate a single word, his body was slammed forwards, impacting hard with the one who still gripped him.  
  
The dark haired elf stared at his friend in surprise, and both their eyes travelled simultaneously to the arrowhead that protruded from Nólad's side.   
Cornallar's gaze moved quickly down the path they had come, and came to rest on a small group of humans who were slowly being cornered by several elven warriors. The men put up a fierce resistance, for none of them wanted to be captured by the elves. In their eyes it was better to die now than in a dark prison or on a scaffold, for surely the fair folk would seek retribution for what they had done.   
  
No one would ever know if it had been a stray arrow or if someone had actually aimed at Cornallar and had only missed because he and Nólad had switched places, but somehow one of the projectiles had swiftly crossed the distance that lay between the two groups and hit the fair haired elf squarely in the back.  
  
Nólad blinked slowly, his mind not yet fully grasping what had happened to him. He sagged against the dark haired elf, a slightly puzzled expression on his fair features as he slowly sank to the ground.  
  
"I am sorry, my lord," he whispered, pain beginning to creep into his voice, "I never meant … I'm no traitor, I would never turn … against you, never …"  
  
Elrond and Cornallar watched in shock as his eyes slowly closed, consciousness fleeing his body as shock set in. The Lord of Rivendell took a step closer, about to put his knife into his belt, the animosity between them forgotten as his instincts as a healer took over.  
  
"Let me tend him, Cornallar," he told the dark haired elf insistently who kneeled over the body of his fallen friend, an unbelieving look on his face. "He is not dead yet, but he soon will be if naught is done!"  
  
At his words the other elf looked up, emotions so fierce burning in his eyes that Elrond stopped in mid-step. This, he realized calmly as his former advisor stood to his feet, had been the last straw. This was what had pushed Cornallar over the edge, the fine line between hate and madness had finally been crossed, and, he decided, looking into the other elf's dark eyes, there was no going back.  
  
Cornallar gripped Elrond's sword tightly, an insane gleam lightening his face.  
"You will pay, Peredhil, for him and so many others."  
  
Elrond had just enough time to throw himself to the side as the other lunged at him with an almost feral snarl, all traces of reason and logic gone from his face. While Cornallar wheeled round for another attack, he quickly moved over to Nólad's side, checking if he was still alive and at the same time pulling the blonde elf's dagger from its sheath. He wouldn't be able to help him, or anyone else for that matter, if he let his former councillor kill him now.  
  
With a fluent move he rolled to his feet and faced the dark haired elf, remembering once again how much suffering this single being had brought upon his sons, Legolas and so many other people…   
The Lord of Imladris gripped the two daggers firmly, wondering briefly how different they felt, one of human, one of elven make.  
  
It was time to end this, one way or the other.  
  
  
  
  
Aragorn was losing the fight, and he was losing badly.   
  
It wasn't even a real fight, he decided as he stumbled to the side, narrowly avoiding Addramyr's descending blade, all he did was try to avoid the other human, with only limited success. Since Donyc's second-in-command had lunged at him on the path, causing them to skid down the mountainside, things had gone downhill for him rapidly. Quite literally.  
  
After a surprisingly short amount of time their descent had been stopped as they landed in the bushes near the path, and somehow Aragorn had managed not to lose consciousness and struggle to his feet.  
  
The ability to stand didn't help him much though, for Addramyr had immediately attacked him, clearly intending to rid himself of the ranger once and for all. All the weakened human could do was back away from the other man and try not to fall down or to let him get too close, and both things were giving him more and more trouble with every second that passed.   
  
As he ducked another blow, adrenaline surging through his veins, Aragorn tried once again to ball one of his hands to a fist, once more without success. He had taken only one look at his stiff, unbending, purple and thoroughly useless arms to know that he could do effectively nothing to defend himself.  
  
The world started to darken as unconsciousness once again tugged at the edges of his awareness, and the young ranger decided grimly that he needed to end this, now, or he would pass out and make this even easier for the other man. By now they had doubled back to the beginning of the clearing, if he was lucky, someone would see them and come to his aid…  
  
He waited for Addramyr to step forwards in a renewed attempt to skewer him, and, just as the man was moving towards him, Aragorn gathered all his remaining speed and strength and, avoiding the man, slammed his uninjured shoulder into the blonde human's side, causing him to drop his sword. Addramyr was thrown to the ground, surprised by this sudden attack, giving the young ranger just enough time to kick the blade out of his reach into the undergrowth to their left, where it came to rest with a small clatter.  
  
Both humans looked up in surprise, Addramyr slowly standing to his feet. Swords were not supposed to clatter when meeting wood or grass. Aragorn shook his head slightly and blinked until his eyes reluctantly focused on the small, huddled figure of Seobryn, who sat under a large oak, staring at both of them with wide eyes, Addramyr's sword laying to his feet.   
If he had had the strength to do so, the ranger would even have smiled. So the boy had listened to him after all and was avoiding the fighting as best as he could…  
  
Addramyr shot his adversary a triumphant look.  
"Give me the sword, boy," he said, his eyes turning to Seobryn now. "I just need to finish this, then we can leave."  
  
Seobryn lifted his head, his face pale against the dark bark of the tree as he slowly got up.  
"No," he said slowly. "No, I will not do that."  
  
The older human raised an eyebrow in question, rage building in his eyes.  
"What did you say, Seobryn? Think carefully, boy, I think you know better than to defy me, and because of a ranger, no less."   
  
The boy shook his head, flicking a strand of light brown hair out of his eyes.  
"No, I will not give you the sword. Every man for himself, did you not say that, uncle? You fight your battles, and I fight mine. I am leaving, right now, and I never want to see you again."  
  
Addramyr took several steps into his nephew's direction, the anger that emanated from him seemingly filling the whole space between the two of them.  
"You will regret this, boy, I promise you that! Is this the way you thank me for taking you in and caring for you for seven years?? You owe me, Seobryn! We are kin, that isn't something you can so easily put aside! I am your uncle!!"  
  
Seobryn swallowed nervously, but he didn't back down in face of Addramyr's anger.  
"Yes," he nodded quietly, locking eyes with the other man. "Yes, I know. But that's not my fault, is it?"  
  
The older man's eyes narrowed at that, and with an unarticulated shout of rage he hurled himself at the boy, knocking him to the ground easily. Addramyr gave his stunned nephew a furious kick, and, with speed born out of rage, he whirled around to face Aragorn, Seobryn's sword in hand.  
  
"I don't know what you have told him, ranger, but all you have achieved is that he will die with you now," he told the younger man as he slowly approached him.  
  
Aragorn sighed inwardly and tried to concentrate, but the world began to blur once more and his whole body seemed to be on fire. There was no way he would escape Donyc's second-in-command now, and he was sure, although the sounds of the battle were drawing closer, that nobody would reach him in time.  
'But still,' he thought stubbornly, 'I can at least try to stall as long as possible.'  
  
"You would kill your own nephew?" he asked incredulously, eyeing the man for a sign that he was about to attack.  
  
Addramyr gave him a humourless smile.  
"I have no use for him anymore, have I?" he asked sarcastically and rushed forwards. He had had enough of that annoying ranger, it was time to finally shut him up.  
  
Aragorn managed to avoid the first few blows, but as he was about twenty yards away from the tree under which Seobryn was still lying motionlessly, Addramyr finally got a hold of him, and, grabbing the ranger's dark hair, he smashed his head against a low hanging branch with all his might.  
  
Countless stars exploded in his field of vision, and as Aragorn slowly sank to the ground, he decided over the roaring in his ears that this had been one time too many. He had lost count of how many times he had got hit on the head in the past week, seven, eight, nine times? He really couldn't tell. Dark shapes loomed at the corner of his vision, and as his head hit the grass with a dull thud that seemed to even increase the blinding pain inside his skull, he mused dryly that he wouldn't get up again for quite a long time. In fact, he doubted that he'd ever get up again at all.   
  
While his body seemed numb and uncooperative and his sight grew even dimmer with every laboured breath he took, his hearing seemed to be doing its best to make up for that, and so he was able to hear Addramyr approach him, even if all he could see was a blurry shadow that seemed to come closer.  
  
The human grinned down at the ranger, taking the sword hilt in both hands.  
"Well, boy, that was fun, but I really don't have time to play around any more."  
  
He noticed that the younger man's eyes were closing despite his valiant efforts to keep them open, and gave an indifferent shrug. He might as well put him out of his misery, he decided, and prepared to bury his blade in the ranger's chest.  
  
Just as he was about to bring the blade down onto the defenceless body of the other man, several things seemed to happen at once, and a second later Addramyr found himself slumped against a tree trunk, sinking slowly to the ground and staring at the dark wooden shaft that had hit him just above the heart.   
'How did it get there?' he asked himself confused. All he could remember was a blur of movements too fast for the human eye to follow, and a hard slap against his chest that threw him back and away from the young ranger.  
  
He lifted his head, and through the dark spots that clouded his vision and that seemed to grow larger by the second, he thought he saw a figure make its way towards him, or was it a hallucination?   
When he shifted his gaze slightly and saw a second person, an elf, he noted detachedly, that looked exactly like the first and held a bow in his hands, he knew that it had to be an apparition or something similar, he was starting to see double. The world grew darker, and the human just kept staring at the deadly, bruised face of the elf that had reached him now and looked at him with the coldest pair of eyes he had ever seen in his life. The elf stopped just in front of him and looked at him, and Addramyr decided that he could barely remember seeing anyone this angry before.  
  
The dark haired being's lips began to move, and as his vision grew dark and his hearing started to fail him, the human heard what he was saying.  
  
"That was for my little brother."  
  
The words seemed to echo inside his head as his eyes closed and he fell into the beckoning darkness, and he knew no more.  
  
Elrohir stared a second longer at the dead human, disgust on his face. He didn't feel sorry for this one at all, what he had just done to Estel…  
  
"Estel!" he exclaimed worriedly and rushed over to his foster brother's side, trusting Elladan to cover them with the bow he had 'received' – in fact, taken - from Glónduil. Glónduil…  
He gritted his teeth as he turned the young human over onto his back, he was far from finished with the other elf. It had probably been a good thing that Celylith had stopped them from killing the dark haired elf, and it had been an equally wise decision to send him back to the palace to inform King Thranduil of what was going on here instead of letting him come with them, but he still had a few things to discuss with him, and he was sure his twin felt the same.  
  
The younger twin took a deep breath when he saw Aragorn's cut, bruised and far too pale face, blood from a head wound plastering his hair to his head on one side. Placing a slightly shaking hand under the human's chin, he closed his eyes and prayed with all his heart to find a pulse there. After a few seconds he gave a short sigh of relief, there it was, a heartbeat, fast and weak, but definitely there. His keen eyes wandered quickly over the human's body, taking in the numerous injuries, but dismissing them when he noticed the swiftly growing swelling at the side of Aragorn's head. This pointed to a head injury, probably a skull fracture, and a serious one by the looks of it.  
  
Elrohir blocked out his surroundings, his entire being focused on his little brother. Taking the unresponsive ranger's face in his hands, he ignored his aching shoulder and desperately tried to rouse him.  
  
"Estel!! Estel, brother, wake up, please! We are here, Elladan and I … I am sorry, I am so sorry, we couldn't make it any sooner … open your eyes! Please Estel, you have to wake up for me! Aragorn! Open your eyes, you stubborn, reckless human, now!!"  
  
Hot tears of relief streamed over his face as Aragorn slowly opened his eyes, silver eyes glazed with pain and confusion.  
"Elrohir? You … really alive …"  
  
The younger twin nodded grinning, quickly wiping away his tears with his shirtsleeve.  
"Of course I am, Estel. Elladan is here as well."  
  
Aragorn studied his elven brother's blurry face in confusion, why was Elrohir crying? His brothers never cried, well, not very often anyway. Pushing back the agony that was threatening to split his skull, he smiled at the younger twin.  
  
"About time," he whispered tiredly.  
  
Elrohir laughed shakily, noting the way the noises of the battling elves and humans were coming closer, but ignoring it for the time being.  
"Aye, brother, we are very sorry for letting you wait. We had an appointment with about half the goblin population between here and the Redhorn Gate."  
  
He shook the human gently when his eyes began to close once more.  
"No, Estel, stay awake. You mustn't go to sleep. Stay with me!"  
  
Aragorn pried his lids open once more. He wanted nothing more than go to sleep and escape the pain that wrecked his hurting body, couldn't Elrohir see that? But his brother's voice had sounded so worried, almost panicked, so there had to be something wrong with him. Elrohir usually knew such things.  
"Sorry … so tired … I will … try …"  
  
The younger twin smiled at his human brother and took one of his chafed, cold hands in his, trying to hide his increasing concern.   
He knew from experience that Estel had a very hard head for a human, but for everything there were limits, and, as he saw it, Aragorn's had been reached some time ago. The dark haired elf reached out and carefully felt the human's forehead, biting his lip when he felt the unnatural heat there. A fever, no doubt caused by his untreated wounds, Ilúvatar, that was exactly what his little brother didn't need right now…  
  
The battle noises grew so loud that not even Elrohir could ignore them anymore, and he could ignore almost anything, that was something one learned very early when one had the good fortune to have been born the brother of Elladan. Something one _had_ to learn if one wanted to retain some semblance of sanity.  
He cursed softly, frowning when he noticed the way Estel's eyes glazed over even more. They needed to get him away from here, and…  
  
Before he could think of a way to transport his human brother within the next few seconds without moving him too much, Elladan's voice ripped through the peaceful cocoon, drawing him back to his surroundings.  
  
"Elrohir! Move!!"  
  
Without even thinking he let go of Estel's hand and rolled to the side, his body instinctively obeying his elven brother's urgent command. The twin groaned in pain as his body weight shortly came to rest on his cracked – and it was only cracked, of that he was sure, and he should know, after all! – shoulder, but ignored his body's discomfort and rolled to his feet, only to see a wooden club crash down onto the space he had occupied only a second earlier, wielded by a man that blinked perplexed, obviously trying to figure out where his victim had disappeared to.   
The "victim" scowled annoyed, for the first time noticing that the battle had apparently shifted from the camp to the outskirts of the woods.  
  
'And they just had to pick this spot, of course,' Elrohir sighed inwardly, taking a step forwards and punching the man straight in the face, throwing him to the ground.   
  
His eyes scanning the melee, he decided that his brother needed some help; it was to put down only to the older twin's burning fury that he hadn't been overwhelmed already. The remaining humans had obviously decided to make their stand here, and since some of the Mirkwood warriors were still busy with smaller groups, there was only a handful of elves engaging the men.  
  
Elrohir drew his long hunting knife and quickly moved over to his twin's side, who was standing a few feet from his foster brother's motionless body, making sure that no human crossed an invisible line he had drawn to protect his brothers. The younger twin stole a glance at Elladan's face and unconsciously pitied their attackers. Rarely since their mother's capture had he seen his brother this angry, whose eyes shone brightly with the promise of instant death should anyone dare to try and harm his little brother any further.  
  
Elrohir squared his shoulders and glared at their attackers. There were few who actually dared to fight the sons of Elrond when infuriated, but if these humans wanted to try, then that was just fine with him.  
  
  
  
  
Legolas drew in a sharp breath when his back impacted with the rock wall, almost causing him to loosen his grip on his daggers. His ribs screaming in pain, he brought his left hand up in front of his face and smashed his fist that still grasped his second dagger into the grinning face of his attacker. Donyc reeled back in shock and pain, giving the elven prince time to move away from the wall, back into the middle of the room.  
  
His head spinning, Legolas tried to get his breathing under control, wondering for a moment how it was possible that he was already back in these accursed caverns. The fight had moved into the main cave that overlooked the valley, much to the elf's dismay.  
  
'It is just my kind of luck,' he thought, watching the human lift his head again, blood trickling from his nose. It had actually felt very good to wipe that annoying grin off his face, Legolas decided a little shamefully. A lot better than it should have. But after what that … man had done to Aragorn…   
Once again steadily increasing worry wrapped itself around his heart, if only his friend managed to escape Addramyr…  
  
Overcome with a sudden wave of fury, the elven prince moved forward and attacked once again; he would teach that arrogant human that there were some things that had serious consequences, consequences that one couldn't escape so easily. He had sworn something, and there was no one that would stop him from fulfilling that oath.  
  
Donyc blocked the blow just in time and tried to slam his shoulder into Legolas' side. The human had quickly realized that this was one of the fair haired elf's weak spots, and was seizing every chance to exploit it. The elven prince danced quickly out of his reach, bringing down one of his knives and catching the human commander just below the collarbone, adding another bleeding wound to those that already adorned the man's body. Both of them had managed to hit the other more than a few times, but the elf had got him a lot more often than the other way round, and Donyc knew that he would already be dead had the elf not been injured.  
  
Painfully the human straightened up again, and, snatching a torch from one of the roughly hewn halters on the wall, he moved, thrusting the flaming wood forwards like a spear and catching the elf on the thigh.  
  
Legolas stumbled back, unable to stifle a small cry of pain. His chest heaving as he struggled to get enough air, he carefully tried to balance on the leg that threatened to give out from under him, a burning pain spreading and intensifying with the second. Valar, he should have known that that human would fight dirty!  
  
Donyc, sensing his chance, rushed up to him, but, this time, Legolas was prepared. Waiting until the last possible moment, he side-stepped the human, and, grimacing in pain and letting go of one of his knives, he grabbed the dark haired man by the shirt and threw him across the room, sending him crashing into a table and a few benches that stood piled up at the one side of the room and causing him to let go of his daggers.  
  
After a few seconds the human commander struggled to his feet with an obvious effort, his left arm dangling limply by his side.  
  
'Broken,' the elven prince commented inwardly, 'Too bad for him.'  
  
Donyc eyed the slowly approaching elf closely, suppressing the sudden panic that threatened to overcome him. Backing away, he gave Legolas a grin and taunted,  
  
"Not bad, Master Elf, not bad. You are much more of a challenge than your little ranger friend. I'm impressed."  
  
Legolas ignored the man, if he thought he could distract him by making him angry, he was mistaken. He gritted his teeth as a new wave of pain swept through him, from his head through his chest all the way down to his thigh. He had had enough of that human.  
  
Donyc however was not prepared to give up that easily.  
"You know, I always wondered what kind of elf would mix with one of us," Donyc said, not taking his eyes off the prince, "And just why that ranger was so convinced that you would come to rescue him. The way I see it, it was nothing but a coincidence that you found us, but he, he was so sure that you, his precious elven friend, would come back for him. Nothing could convince him otherwise, and, believe me, I tried."  
  
Legolas' breathing quickened as he tried not to listen to the man's lies, but against his will he found himself paying close attention.  
  
That fact was not lost on Donyc, and he continued, a nasty smile on his bloodied face.  
  
"Oh, I tried. That evening the elf allowed us to have a little fun with him, I came really close to making him beg, did he tell you that? I could see it in his eyes, but something made him keep quiet. And do you know what I think? I think it was you, Master Elf. He called for you in the end, called for you until he lost consciousness. It was rather amusing actually, the way he begged someone to help him that had left him behind in the first place…"  
  
The elf prince stared at the dark haired human, fury and pain darkening his bright eyes. Elbereth, Aragorn had called for him, he had needed him, and where had he been? Donyc was right, he had failed his friend, had left him behind…  
  
The small moment of distraction was all Donyc needed. Falling to his knees, he pulled a small, hidden dagger from his boot, and, with a fluent movement, threw it at his momentary distracted adversary with his right.   
That was it, the human commander thought with an inward sigh of relief, nobody would be able to escape that knife.  
  
He was right, Legolas did indeed not escape the dagger. At the sound of Donyc's body hitting the floor he had looked up, startled, and in the split second before the knife left the man's hand, he had realized that it was too late to avoid the blade. With all the speed he still possessed, he threw himself forwards, twisting his body to the side so that instead of hitting him in the heart the knife imbedded itself in his right shoulder. Their bodies collided, and they rolled over several times, both of them trying to get to the knife Legolas had held in his hand when he had lunged at the man.   
  
With strength born out of fury, the elven prince slowly gained the upper hand, trying to ignore the pain that started to claim his entire attention, but Donyc wasn't willing to give up just yet. They rolled over the cold stone floor until they met – hard and unexpectedly – with the rock wall. That was something the human had obviously not taken into account, and they impacted with the rock, both of them getting knocked hard against it. The man went suddenly limp, and Legolas looked up, surprised, to see the dagger imbedded deeply in the human's chest, their hands still wrapped around the hilt.  
  
Letting go of the knife and drawing himself painfully up into a sitting position, the fair haired elf looked at the human commander, who was leaning against the wall, staring with failing eyes at the blade that protruded from his chest.  
  
"I keep my promises," Legolas repeated quietly, fixing emotionless eyes on the dark haired man.  
  
And so it came that Donyc died as he had feared, alone and abandoned by his men, and the last thing he ever saw was the lithe figure of the blonde elf, looking at him with those cold, cold blue eyes that held no pity at all.  
  
  
  
  
Elrond parried a blow with both of his knives, and while he launched a counterattack, he wondered briefly how one could possibly choose daggers instead of a sword as weapons of choice. In his opinion, a sword was a lot more practical, especially when you were fighting an elven maniac that had one.  
  
The one thing that aided the Lord of Rivendell was the state of wild, uncontrolled rage in which Cornallar seemed to be in, a rage that caused him to rush thoughtlessly at his adversary and lash out at him without looking after himself or conserving his strength.   
  
Elrond looked around him, using a brief respite owned to the fact that his former advisor needed some time too free himself from the tangle of a wild bush in which the elf lord's last attack had pushed him.   
They were now about five hundred yards away from the camp, but his elven eyes had no trouble seeing that the humans were in the process of losing. He didn't know what had become of Legolas or Estel, he could only pray with all his heart that they were alright, but the men he could see from here were beginning to surrender, the few that were still alive, that was. The elven warriors were beginning to disarm the survivors and gather them in the one corner of the camp.  
  
Elrond turned his eyes back on the other elf who was paying absolutely no attention to his surroundings, his dark eyes fixed on the elf lord's face as he came closer.  
  
"It is over, Cornallar," he tried to reason with him. "Your men are giving themselves up. It has not to end this way! You cannot escape, stop this now, it is not too late!"  
  
The dark haired elf laughed, his eyes flickering unsteadily.  
"Oh, it is too late, Peredhil, it is far too late! It has been too late for a long time now. And who says that I even want to escape!? There is one last move I have to make, and escaping is no part of it!"  
  
He moved forwards, aiming a wild swing at the other elf. Elrond ducked out of the way, but while Cornallar was rushing past him, he grabbed the elf lord's sleeve with an astonishing speed and pulled him with him, which resulted in both of them falling to the ground, tumbling down the path that led southwards into the direction of the High Pass.   
At the bottom of the path there lay several large boulders, and both elves smacked right into them, knocking the breath out of them and causing them to drop their weapons. After a few seconds they struggled breathlessly to their knees, and scrambled quickly to their feet, trying to get hold of a blade. Both of them lunged at the knives that had been knocked out of Elrond's grip, but Cornallar reached them first, sweeping them up with a triumphant shout.  
  
Reacting quickly, Elrond threw himself to the side, looking desperately around him for his sword. After what felt like an eternity he finally spied it behind one of the larger boulders, and with desperate speed he really managed to grasp it just in time to whirl round and block the knives that Cornallar had aimed at his back.  
  
Looking at the scowling face of his former advisor, the Lord of Imladris gave a small sigh of relief. This was much better, he thought, eyeing the other elf warily, he really didn't like knives too much.   
  
Shifting his grip on the pommel, he brought the gleaming mithril blade up in front of him.  
"I don't want to kill you, Cornallar," he said quietly. "But I will, by the Valar, I will, if you don't give up your weapons now."  
  
The dark haired elf grinned at him, his body tensing for action.  
"Too bad, _Lord_ Elrond," he mocked, his dark eyes hard and lifeless, "That doesn't really matter, because _I_ want to kill _you_!"  
  
Once again Cornallar attacked Elrond, who took a deep breath, setting his jaw. If Cornallar had decided that this would only end when one of them was dead, and if that was the way he wanted it, then he would see it done.   
The elf lord lost himself in the familiar rhythm of a sword fight, and, watching the other elf fight with an unnatural ferocity, he soon found that, even if his old councillor had trained his abilities during these past 3000 years, he had obviously not gone to any lengths to come up with new moves. He still strongly favoured his right side, leaving his left open to attack, something that Elrond and several others had told him many times, before the war in Imladris. But even then Cornallar wouldn't listen, he had never listened to the counsel of others, not if it concerned him personally…  
  
Elrond blocked a stroke, and as he pushed the other elf back, he saw what he had been looking for: An opening in Cornallar's defence, an opening that was as clearly visible to his eyes as the trail of chaos the twins left behind every time they had been "researching" something in his library.   
  
Without even thinking about what he was doing, he moved forwards, and after feinting to his left, he thrust his blade to the right and upwards, watching with something akin to horror as the bluish metal disappeared between the dark haired elf's ribs with a sickening noise.  
  
Both elves stared in shock at the sword that protruded from Cornallar's chest, and Elrond pulled it out quickly as the other started to collapse. He stared at the bloodstained sword in his hands, and while it had been not the first time he had killed someone and, as much as he tried to deny it, it would probably not be the last, he still never got used to the initial shock that always seized him when he had to take a life.   
And this time it had even been an elf, an elf that, once, a long time ago, had even been something like a friend to him…  
  
He fell to his knees next to his former advisor, checking if there was anything he could do to save him, and quickly finding that there wasn't. No healer would be able to help Cornallar now.   
At Elrond's touch the dark haired elf opened his eyes slowly, giving him a blank stare.   
  
"You … win after all, Peredhil," he whispered, his eyes slowly breaking. He drew a laboured, shuddering breath and slowly closed his eyes. "That was … a … good move."  
  
Elrond remained next to him for a few moments, staring emotionlessly at the elf's dead body.   
Finally he got to his feet, giving the fallen elf one last, unreadable look as he shook his head sadly.  
  
"I never wanted this to happen," he said quietly. "You brought this upon yourself, Cornallar, and now I have to bear the responsibility for what happened. We have all lost, and far more than just your 'game'. Go in peace, and may you find forgiveness and comfort with your son."  
  
He turned and walked swiftly back the way they had come. He was about to choose the main path that led to the camp to join the warriors and search for his son and Legolas, when he remembered something that made him dash down the smaller path he and Cornallar had taken, quickly reaching the place where Nólad had fallen.   
  
He arrived just in time to see some Mirkwood warriors take three very dejected looking humans away, gazing at them grimly, while another one made his way quickly over to the fallen elf. Elrond stepped closer, taking the medicine pouch the younger elf carried, and dismissing him with a nod of his head. The warrior made no objections, knowing full well that his healing abilities were nothing in comparison to those of the Lord of Rivendell.   
  
The elf lord quickly began to examine the injury, carefully feeling where the arrow had entered the fair haired elf's back. Elrond's lips thinned as he took in the extent of the damage the projectile had done, it was far too close to the heart, and the younger elf had lost much blood, too much blood.  
  
'Still,' he thought, rummaging through the small leather pack and making a mental note to have a talk with the palace healers once they got to Mirkwood. What kind of useless herbs did they give to their warriors? 'Still, there is a chance that he may survive, and I will not just let another elf die today!'  
  
As he was just pulling out some of the herbs he wanted, Nólad slowly opened his eyes that were clouded with pain.  
"Lord Elrond?" he asked in a whisper, his gaze wandering over the other elf's face. "Where … is he?"  
  
Elrond stopped in mid-motion, turning his head to look into Nólad's eyes. He closed his eyes and shook his head sadly.  
"I am sorry. He is dead."  
  
The blonde elf stared at the grey sky for a second, not surprised in the slightest.  
"I knew it would end … like this … perhaps … it's better …"  
  
The Lord of Imladris pressed the younger elf back, shaking his head.  
"Don't talk. You have taken grievous hurt, save your strength."  
  
Nólad smiled slightly, coughing weakly.  
"I am dying, my lord," he said in a surprisingly strong tone of voice.   
  
As Elrond started to once again turn his attention to his wound, he tried to push his hands away and shook his head, catching the elf lord's eye.  
"No, Lord Elrond, please don't. I do not wish to remain here as the last of my friends. It is too late anyway. I … I am ready to go. All those I ever loved are gone … my brothers … my friends … they are … waiting for me, all of them. They will be beginning to wonder what kept me."  
  
Elrond looked down at the dying elf, shaking his head sadly and wondering how many more lives this horrible day would yet claim.  
"You don't have to. Stay with us, come back to Rivendell! Fight this darkness, you don't have to share his fate, Nólad."  
  
Nólad coughed again, bright red blood appearing at the corners of his mouth. So it was as he had thought, Elrond thought helplessly, at least one lung was punctured.  
  
"I … I have followed Cornallar my whole life, my lord … wh-what kind of friend … would I be if … if I changed that now? Let me go, please. He will need s-someone that … makes him see reason… He was never p-particularly good … at that, you know…"  
  
The dark haired elf smiled gently, nodding his head. Noting the way the other's breaths became increasingly rasping and laboured, he quickly took one of his hands, knowing that there was no time to spare.  
  
"Thank you," he said seriously, gazing at the rapidly paling face in front of him. "Thank you for looking after my son. Thank you for keeping his identity a secret, you saved his life that way."  
  
The other elf grimaced and, with on obvious effort, smiled again.  
"'Twas nothing … t-take good care of him, he's not … not like _them_."  
  
Elrond inclined his head slightly, and the fair haired elf continued, the light in his eyes growing dim.  
"Sorry … I am sorry … tell your sons and the prince …"  
  
The Lord of Imladris squeezed the cold hand he held gently, shaking his head.  
"There is nothing to be sorry about Nólad, you redeemed yourself the moment you stood up to Cornallar. It was a brave thing to do, and we are deeply in your debt for it."   
  
The other elf's eyes slowly drifted shut, and he added softly,   
  
"Go, Nólad. Join your people, let them wait no longer."  
  
Nólad exhaled slowly, and a peaceful smile spread over his features as his spirit fled his body to join his family and friends, in Valinor far across the Sea.  
  
Elrond bowed his head in grief; this was so pointless, another death that made no sense at all…  
  
_"Á-manuelle utua seere e' oromarderim en Mandos,"_ he whispered softly, opening his eyes and folding the dead elf's arms across his chest.  
  
Slowly he stood to his feet and looked down at Nólad, who looked more at peace now than he could remember him in life.  
"May your journey be a swift one, and may you be welcomed by all those who have already gone before you."  
  
He turned and left the little glade, heading towards the main camp, leaving the bodies of the two elves behind and fervently hoping that those two would be the only pair of friends that would be reunited today only in death.  
  
  
  
  
Legolas stumbled down the stony path, wondering idly how it came that Aragorn and he always managed to get themselves into these situations. This one topped all of them though, he thought fuzzily, the encounter with the hill trolls was nothing in comparison to this. Neither was the mess Estel had got them into when they had first met, or the one with…  
  
His confused thoughts were interrupted when he reached the camp to find a dozen longbows pointed unwaveringly at him. He blinked slowly, his tired brain trying to figure out what was going on here, until he noticed that the beings pointing their weapons at him were elves. Mirkwood elves, in fact, the patrol he had ordered to come here…   
  
He quickly searched the crowd of familiar faces in front of him, where were Aragorn, Lord Elrond or the twins? They had to be here somewhere, he needed to find them…  
  
"Legolas! You live, thank the Valar!"  
  
The elven prince raised his head to look into Celylith's concerned face, whose eyes hardened when he looked at his swaying prince.  
"Elbereth, Legolas, what happened to you? Come, sit down before you fall over…"  
  
Legolas shook his head carefully, looking at the silver haired elf imploringly.  
"No, I need to find Strider and Lord Elrond. Where are they?" He brushed off his friend's hands that were trying to steady him. "Stop it, I am fine."  
  
The other elf looked at him incredulously and ignored his friend's attempts to escape his grasp.  
"Fine? Legolas, you look battered enough to come straight from the fields of Dagorlad, you are limping heavily, and there is a knife sticking out of your shoulder in case you hadn't noticed!"  
  
The elven prince looked down his body perplexed. Celylith was right, there _was_ a dagger in his shoulder. It took him a moment to remember how it had got there, he had indeed forgotten about it. His whole body hurt so much that one injury more or less hardly made a difference anymore.  
  
He gritted his teeth, eyes flashing determinedly. He was _not_ sitting down before he had found out where his friends were. Celylith sighed tiredly, Legolas could be so incredibly stubborn at times.  
  
"The twins are alright, _mellonamin_, don't worry. We met with them as you ordered. How Lord Elrond is, I do not know, but one of the warriors saw him caring for the wounded just a few minutes ago. He is alive as well."  
  
Legolas sighed with relief, but frowned when he realized Celylith had omitted someone from his enumeration.  
"What about Strider?" he asked, pushing back the pain and exhaustion that seemed to have taken up permanent residence in his body and scanning the other elf closely. "Did you find him?"  
  
Celylith sighed and lowered his eyes. Legolas wouldn't like this.  
"Let me get my supplies from my horse and then I will take you to him. Elladan sent me to get him some more bandages."  
  
Not waiting for Legolas to reply, he pulled him into the direction the elven horses were grazing, grabbing a bag from his horse's back and turning to leave again. Suddenly another bag the size of a small boulder moved and hissed, straining against the ropes that secured it on the nervous animal. The prince's eyes grew wide while Celylith hastily grabbed his lord's shoulder and dragged him off into the other direction, mumbling about how the bag shouldn't have woken up already.  
  
The fair haired prince was sure he was in a pretty bad shape, but even in his condition he knew that bags were not supposed to move on their own, and they usually didn't hiss either.  
He was too exhausted and in too much pain to figure out what was going on, and so he decided to let the matter rest until he could think straight again. Just then they reached a smaller glade, and every thought of moving or hissing supply bags was driven from the prince's mind.   
  
Pulling his arm out of his friend's steadying grasp, he rushed across the clearing and fell heavily down to his knees next to the twins who were crouching at the side of the motionless body of his human friend.  
Elladan had bedded the ranger's head into his lap and didn't even glance up when Legolas plopped down next to him, he just continued to threaten his little brother with the most interesting things should he dare to lose consciousness. Elrohir looked up shortly from where he was bandaging Aragorn's chest, taking in his friend's condition and wincing openly when his eyes came to rest on the dagger that still protruded from Legolas' shoulder.   
  
They were dead, all of them, and if their father didn't kill them, King Thranduil would.  
  
Legolas shot him a worried look before redirecting his gaze to the ranger's face, who struggled to keep his eyes open. He looked even worse than the last time he had seen him, and his eyes were unfocused and glazed with pain.  
"Aragorn? Aragorn!"  
  
The young human slowly focused his eyes on the person that seemed so intent on preventing him from getting some rest. His face broke into a painful smile when he saw who the speaker was.  
  
"Legolas…" he whispered so softly that their elven ears could understand him only with difficulty, "You … hurt…"  
  
The elf laughed softly, instantly regretting it as intense pain shot through his chest and head.  
"As are you,_ mellonamin_," he stated wryly.   
  
He brushed an errant strand of dark hair away from his friend's face, his eyes hardening when he saw the blood that covered the side of the human's head. He scanned the clearing quickly, nodding in grim satisfaction when he saw the dead body of Donyc's second-in-command that still lay where he had fallen, slumped against a tree trunk, an arrow sticking out of his chest. So Elladan had got him as well; he didn't feel sorry for that one either.  
  
"D-Donyc?" Aragorn asked in a whisper, his eyes glued to the prince's face.  
  
Legolas shook his head, his eyes growing cold when he heard the human commander's name.  
"Don't worry, Estel. He is dead. He will never hurt you again."  
  
The young ranger closed his eyes at that, breathing out softly.  
"Good," he whispered tiredly.  
  
At this moment the three elves heard someone enter the clearing, and they looked up, only to freeze instantly when they saw who it was. Legolas swallowed nervously. Where was an orc horde when you needed one? That would at least give them enough time to escape…  
Elrohir got up slowly, trying not to let his own injuries show, which was futile of course, considering the fact that one side of his face was covered in the biggest and most colourful bruise any of them had ever seen.  
  
The younger twin cleared his throat nervously.  
"Uhm, we can explain it?! There were goblins and…" he trailed off and quickly changed his strategy. "But, please, _ada_, before you strangle us as we all deserve, help Estel. He needs you, urgently!"  
  
Elrond stepped closer, and before Elrohir could say another word, he quickly enveloped his younger elven son in a firm hug, which the younger elf returned after a few second, leaning contentedly into his father's embrace.  
  
After a few seconds the Lord of Rivendell let go of his son and put a finger under the younger elf's chin, looking him in the eye.  
"Don't you – _ever_ – do that again, Elrohir!" he said, his voice trembling. "I thought I had lost all three of you. By all the Valar, if you do such a thing ever again, I _will_ strangle you!"  
  
"We won't," Elladan assured him from his position on the ground, smiling brilliantly at his father, eyes shining with relief upon seeing him again, and in one piece at that.  
  
At the sound of his oldest son's voice Elrond looked down at Legolas and Elladan who clustered around Estel's motionless body, doing a double-take when he saw the dagger imbedded in the prince's shoulder.  
'Don't ask,' a tiny voice inside his head chuckled as he fell to his knees next to the two, practised eyes wandering over his foster son. 'O Elbereth, no…'  
  
He ran his hands over the human's skull, trying to determine if it was cracked or not.  
"Estel! My son, open your eyes for me! Estel!!" he repeated, fighting down the panic that rose inside of him, "I do not wish to repeat myself! Please, look at me!"  
  
Aragorn groaned softly, thoroughly annoyed now. He was tired, he was cold and he hurt so much that he couldn't think clearly, the sensation of blood returning to his numb arms being one of the most painful things he had ever experienced. And, to be honest, he had experienced quite a few painful things in the past week, so that meant a lot. His head was spinning faster with every second that passed, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to stay conscious for much longer, no matter what the voices said.   
But that had sounded like his father, and he would be damned if he went to sleep before making sure the elf lord was alright.  
  
Slowly he forced his lids open again, his silver eyes seemingly lighting up when they fixed on Elrond's relieved face.  
"_Ada_," he mumbled exhaustedly, not having the strength to say more.  
  
Elrond smiled at the young human, resting one hand on his much too warm forehead.  
"Yes, I am here, Estel, we are all here. Please, stay awake."  
  
Aragorn fought to comply, but it was a fight he couldn't win, and soon his eyes slid shut again.  
"Sorry … can't …"  
  
The voices started pleading with him again, but he knew that the choice was no longer his to make.   
As the darkness around him grew and intensified, he gave an inward smile of relief and let unconsciousness carry him away, safe in the knowledge that his father, brothers and best friend were with him, watching over him, and that they would still be there when he awoke.  
  
  
  
  
  
**TBC...  
  
  
  
  
** ___N'lava sen usin - Don't allow them to escape!  
edan - human, man  
eldar - 'People of the Stars', elves  
mellonamin - my friend  
__Á-manuelle utua seere e' oromarderim en Mandos_ - _May your spirit find peace in the Halls of Mandos_  
_ada - father (daddy)  
  
  
  
  
_**I'm sorry, okay? I liked him as well, but there was no other way ... the plot demanded it ... uhm, my alter ego made me do it? *nervous look at VERY angry readers* Come on, I cried when I wrote it, doesn't that count? Apparently not... Okay guys, only one chapter left, which will be here on Saturday or Sunday, I think.  
Don't hesitate to review to let me know how much you hate me for killing him, okay? But really, please review, I would very much like to know what you think about this chapter. It was very hard to write. So: Review? Please??  
  
  
  
**

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**Additional A/N:  
  
**E - Tsk tsk tsk, not so impatient! A little bit of waiting never hurt, did it? And, see, here it is: A whole chapter dedicated to killing off the bad guys... *raises eyebrow* So you'd have stabbed him? Well, I thought he had been through enough, besides, I think a stab wound would have killed our favourite ranger, considering his condition. And I still need him to twist his knee, so... *g* Uhm, and about the willpower and not adding to the torture: Read on, dear friend... *evil cackle*   
Cestari - *shakes with anger* Yes, I have indeed noticed that C&S have stolen his name! I have no idea how that could happen, because I put my cat's name into the name generator, and he hasn't even got an English name. So, I have NO idea. *g* They shall all kill Donyc? Well, that's an interesting idea, but well, a bit too late now. But I hope you will not be disappointed by my version of events... LOL, I like the bean paste! It's disgusting I think, so that would work just fine for Donyc... Thanks so much for the review! Glad you like it so much!  
Imbefaniel - *writes down instructions* Got it! Perhaps I'll try it as well one day... *blushes* So, yes, perhaps the chapter WAS a tiny bit evil, but what can I say - I love being evil? Mhahahaha!!  
TrinityTheSheDevil - What is it with you people? You are even more blood-thirsty than me, and I had thought that to be impossible! Well, I thought he had had enough for a bit, but it's not over yet, is it? *evil grin* Hmm, if you shot me in the foot, I could still read ... or watch TV ... or ... *hastily* Oh, okay, I see what you mean, give Elladan back his bow, he will need it! The next chapter's here, see?  
Mouse - *grins proudly* So you liked it? Thanks so much! *huggles her* And see, this one isn't a cliffy, well, not really... Yeah, it took good ol' Nólad long enough to figure out that Cornallar is really, well, let's say, three sandwiches short of a picnic, shall we? *g* One nice, long elf-evil human discussion coming up as ordered!  
Ciria - Oh, I'm glad if I could make your day a little bit better, that's nice to hear. I'm sure Chemistry wasn't that bad, and you did well in English and French as well. I'm sure of it. (Yeah, that's an Elrond prediction! *g*) Uhm, okay ... *shoots looks at Zam and Ciria* I'm sure Zam didn't mean what she said, she says a lot of things, you know... Please put down that pineapple, 'k? Huh? Yes, what incident? *g* So you think Nólad is a mother and Cornallar is his/her child, yes? Well, THAT'S an interesting thought for sure... Nólad's face when Cornallar found the ring? Well, I guess it would have been something like "Oh, Holy S***" *shrugs* Just guessing here! Don't worry, there's more of your fav elf in this chapter, but well ... Let's just say, I am sorry, okay? I really, truly am.  
JoX5 - I am not being evil to readers ... (Readers: *raise eyebrows* Excuse me?) Well, okay, then maybe I am. I don't want you to go insane here, but there just were so many great - okay then, evil - places to break things off, so, sorry? I just can't help myself... Thanks a lot for reviewing!  
Darkphoenix - Yeah well, loving me - hating me - loving me - hating me ... That's something I haven't figured out for myself yet... *g* Hey, it would be unfair if I only tortured my characters, no? Besides, it's not torture, just a litle suspense, nothing more...Yeah well, the next story might take some time, but we'll see... Estel taking off his coat? Uhm, let's just say he won't be doing that - or anything else than lie on the ground ... *evil cackle* Oh, brutal and nasty deaths? Well, I did my best, but they are still humane, in a way... *shrugs* Hope you still like it.  
Asha Dreamweaver - Thank you! I am so happy there are a few people out there who like this weird little story! Thanks a lot for the review!  
Arlessiar - *rot werd* Na ja, so gut ist sie nun wirklich nicht... Aber danke! *g* Tja, ich glaube ich mag Cornallar am liebsten. Der hat ja nun wirklich einen an der Waffel, nech? Ah, noch ein Aragorn-Fan? Nun ja, ich glaube, man kann dem ganzen hier entnehmen, dass der knuddelige Ranger auch mein Lieblingscharakter ist, so frei nach dem Motto "Denn jeder toetet, was er liebt". Nun ja, nicht gerade toeten, man kann ja auch alles uebertreiben... *g* LOL, Papa Elrond? Irgendwie erinnert mich das an Papa Baer... Keine Angst, ein bisschen Comfort ist schon noch drin... Spaeter... *fieses Grinsen* Danke fuer die review, lieber spaet als nie!!  
Miss Undastood - Sure I have tried Marmite crisps! Ack! Horrible stuff! But hey, if you like them, please, feel free to eat as many as you possibly can... Yes, your darling will be in this chappie as well, don't worry, and, well, the ELVES won't harm him, let's put it that way... I know I know, I couldn't believe my eyes either when I saw that name! But I THOUGHT OF IT FIRST - I think... Well, I don't know if I'm popular (would be the first time in my life, LOL), but if you guys want, I can try and write another one. Might take me some time, but I'd definitely try.  
Lievre - Lievre!! *huggles her* Nice to see you again! I know, RL can be a pain sometimes... *g* Yes, "The Chapter In Which Everything Goes Straight To Hell" would have been appropriate! But it's an awfully long name, so I reluctantly decided to change it... *wide eyes* Well, no problem, and don't worry, they will die! This chapter! I dedicated the whole chapter to killing off the baddies! And I agree, Estel's been through enough pain, well, not yet, but at the end of the chapter it will be over. And, uhm, nervous breakdowns aren't all Legolas is having, poor soul... Thanks so much for reviewing again, I missed you!  
Nikeie - *smug grin* Of course I won't tell you! You'll have to read on to find out... Hm, about Legolas' age: Nothing against Orlando Bloom, but he's an actor, so what does he know about Tolkien? Most of them haven't even read the books, so what d'you expect? I know that the movie people have figured it out somehow, but until they present me with their reasoning, I will not believe what they say. In Tolkien's main works there's nothing about Legolas' age, full stop. *coughs* Sorry, I am a bit fanatic about facts and ages and stuff. Well, let's say your fav elf won't get hurt - much. *evil grin*  
Ana - I'm not telling! You'll have to read it to find out whether he's going to die or not... Great you like it so much, I hope you'll like this bit as well!  
Kandice - *innocent expression* You don't like cliffies?Why? I like them a lot! Mhahahaha!! Well, I have updated, so does that mean you won't strangle me? Huh? Think about it! *g*  
Alilacia - *pats her back in sympathy* Poor you - sometimes I think FF.net is out there to get us... (1-3) Yupp, they're dead. Both of them. (4) Yeah well, Nólad ... I'm not telling. (5) *grins back* Nothing like a bit of male bonding, right you are, mate! (6) *shrugs* You are right, he didn't leave. Stupid boy. (7) Well, he had had 3000 years to come up with some courage, for crying out loud! *g* No, you're right, it took a lot of guts to do that. (8-9) *evil grin* Oh no, _he_ didn't do any damage. (10) *blushes* Why, thank you! (11) You'll have to read on to find out! (12) You can say that again! Horrible, stupid weather, at least today. Yesterday was great. (13) Yes, you can have him. There's not much left of him I'm afraid, Legolas was quite - let me put it this way - upset. *g* Read on, my friend! Thanks a lot for the long review! I loooooooove long reviews! *g*  
Belle - That's good, there's nothing worse than a boring life! Oh, come on, the cliffy wasn't that bad! *thinks about it* Well, okay, sp perhaps it was. But it's fun writing them, so don't expect me to stop any time soon! Yupp, I am from Germany, but right now I'm in the UK. So you'd have to swim here. Oh, and don't worry, I am not exactly what you would define as polite company, so tell me! I'd love to hear what the Amish taught you! Amish? Arent't those the ones that practise polygamy? Or are they the ones that are stuck in the 19th century? The latter, I think?! Oh, no offence, btw. And I will read your story once I'm back home and have a bit more time, okay? Promise! And, hey: I wasn't MY fault!!  
Analia - What kind of evil ideas? *narrows eyes* Ah well, nothing unusual is going to happen, just the usual, you know: Death, pain, destruction... *g* Great you like it, and I'm still thinking about the sequel...   
Wakoocarolyn - Thank you! And I have indeed decided to let Legolas and Donyc have a little conversation, the dear prince has got to keep his promise, hasn't he? Thanks a lot for reviewing!  
CrazyLOTRFan - Huh? *confused look* Somebody actually LIKED the cliffy? I'm either losing my touch or you are really odd... But hey, I agree: It _was _ a good place to end the chapter! Update's here, hope it was soon enough!  
ThE iNsAnE oNe - YOU want Nólad? Well, there's a little problem, Ciria _really_ wants him, as does Zam...But if you want to, I can give you a Nólad plushie once this is over. Deal? *reads Elrohir's prediction about said elf* *blanches* *hastily* NO! It won't happen like that, really! *watches TiO cry* Jeez, perhaps I SHOULD give him to you... Okay, so I may clone him and you can all have a copy. How's that? *nods* Yupp. Poor Estel, his life is certainly not an easy one... (Estel: Tell me about it!) *jumps up and down* Yay! Please, write faster! Faster! I want to read it!! Now!! Please?? *wails*  
Alisha - Awww, such a nice thing to say - thank you! But that happens to me all the time with Ancient Greek and Latin grammar, they are so similar sometimes... *coughs* Ah well, okay... Well, about the concealed weapons: That's just what I thought! I mean, orcs may be stupid enough not to search their prisoners, but humans aren't! *proudly* We may be not as clever as elves, but we're not THAT stupid! *hurt look* Why is everybody assuming that all I want to do is hurt Aragorn? Really, boys and girls, I'm not _that_ bad, am I? Am I? On second thoughts, DON'T answer that.... *g* *singing* I'll never tell ... You'll have to read on and find out! Yes, the knee still hurts a bit, but it's better now. Still, it's something I could do to our favourite ranger, I'll have to remember it... *evil grin* ACK! Nagging Alert, Nagging Alert!!! Well, as I said, it's not my fault!! *shakes fist at FF.net* The elf and ranger didn't escape after all, although I have to admit that they tried once or twice...  
MidnightLoner - Yeah well, I think you could say that, right now, Elladan and Elrohir are not exactly happy. Nor are Legolas and Elrond, mind you... They are all quite upset at the moment... And don't worry, most of them are going to be okay. Most. *g*  
Marbienl - Don't you just hate FF.net sometimes? It's doing its best to make your life miserable... *grrrr* Hmm, okay, maybe you are right. Both Gríma and Glónduil are too stupid to consider the consequences of their actions... Well, about Celylith and the spider: He doesn't have to keep it for long, does he? Only for a little while, long enough to wreak some havoc... *g* Yupp, poor Estel, the hands will be quite painful. But, mind you, he has other problems right now... *evil grin* Yeah, I also think the singing scene is sweet, there's nothing like a bit of male bonding! Okies, a fainting scene, I'll see what I can do... *g*  
ManuKu - Oh, du warst krank? Armes Wurm... Tja, es war wirklich lang, und das hier ist noch laenger! Ich hasse es, wenn das passiert, irgendwie geraet die Handlung immer ausser Kontrolle... *grrr* Yupp, man kann ueber Donyc sagen, was man will, aber er ist kein Feigling. Vielleicht dumm und ein Sadist (und, nach Zam's Ansicht, schwul! *g*), aber nicht feige! Tja, zu allem weiteren kann ich keine Angaben machen, da musst du schon weiterlesen! Danke fuer die review, hat mich sehr gefreut!  
Sabercrazy - This is not a torture fic, is it? I mean, really, there is one little chapter, and that's it? Yeah, maybe a little more, but not much more... *thinks* Okay, so maybe it IS a torture fic after all... *g* Yeah well, I have to agree, the last cliffy WAS quite evil, I am rather proud of it... Thanks a lot for reviewing! I love review, in case you hadn't noticed...  
Acacia - *g* I don't know either. Just a random hobbit, I guess... *g* LOL, a kingdom to rule, down south? That's one way of putting it... Don't worry, he WILL be fine, in the end. Uhm, maybe not right now, but, eventually, he will be alright. *whispers* Later. LOL, you are right! Enid Blyton always did that, and I loved it! I could just imagine all the great food - and, surprise, surprise, she never - ever - mentioned Marmite. I wonder why.... *g*  
Alexa - *sympathetic smile* I know, I know, school can be hell... Poor you. Then again, poor me, my college starts again in a week... *shudders* Poor me indeed. Don't worry, I will not kill Legolas, even though I can make no promises about not hurting him... *evil cackle* Thanks for reviewing!  
Lavender of the Shire - Two days? Wow! I didn't know it took so long to read it, but you're right, twenty chapters is quite long... You are complaining about the cliffy? Really, the others had had it much worse than you! They had had about, let's say, eight or nine cliffies! But you are right, this one is quite evil. *shrugs* I love being evil...  
Nikara - Well, the torture-scenes were the hardest thing I have ever written! I couldn't look at the screen because I couldn't watch was I were doing to my poor ranger... I'm weird, I know. I'm glad you like it, thanks for the review!  
Saige - Well, with the knee it's my fault, I guess. I should have strectched a bit before running.... Stupid me. Ah well, it's too late now. See? Next chapter's here! And it's no cliffy! Well, not a real one, anyway...  
Elladan - Cool screenname, btw, did I ever tell you that? *watches twitching face* Uhm, well, I take it you liked the cliffy? Oh, and don't worry, you are not going insane! The next bit is here already, see.... *grimaces* You _broke_ your knee? Jeez, _that's_ gotta hurt! Poor you!  
Mommints - Uhm, what can I say? I like cliffies?! Aiee! Don't send the Med-jai after me, even though you send me a scimitar - nice weapons... *dreamy sigh* OR you could send me Ardeth Bey (or whatever his name's spelt! *g*)... *huge dreamy sigh* Great you like this so much, I hope you'll enjoy the rest as well!  
Aurienia - Calm down, calm down ... yes, that's it ... this one isn't a cliffy, see? Well, _I_ think it's not a cliffy...Oh Yay!! I got an Oscar! Thanks so much! *clears throat* Thank you all so much! I would like to thank my family, my readers, my cat, The Coca Cola Company for inventing Diet Coke with lemon.... *g* Thanks a lot! That's something different for a change... Thanks a lot for asking, my knee is indeed better. LOL, I hadn't expected anyone to notice! That's correct, Donyc did the exact same thing to Aragorn in ch 8 and 9... Well done! Thanks a lot for the review!  
Froggy - Oh, uhm thank you? Pleasey-squeezy with sugar, sprinkles and a cherry on top? Well, who could say no to THAT? I hope you woke up in time to read this! *winks*  
Tbiris - LOL, you can threaten Donyc all you want. He deserves it. Sorry, but you mustn't kill him, otherwise Legolas will be very disappointed, and we can't have that, can we? *g* Indeed, Mirkwood to the rescue! Well, I'm still thinking about the sequel, but if you all want me to write one, I probably will...  
Lina - *g* You like it every time somebody is "forceful", Lina.... Is there something you want to tell us?? *g* Oh, sweet Jesus... *sighs in exasperation* He is not gay!! NOT! GAY!! It's not so hard to understand, is it?? LOL, Elrond's The-Eyebrows-of-Doom-Glare? You are right, that one IS very scary. *hits Legolas on the head* He is not morbid, for crying out loud! He's a bit depressed right now, and can you blame him? *shakes head* That elf... LOL, let's just hope they don't pursue you and the Rohirrim ... would ruin the whole story, again.... *g*  
Xanthia Morgan - Aww, thanks! It's always great to hear that people like what you're writing. *eyes grow wide* You are even worse than me! I mean, let's see: Poor Estel has: Broken ribs, newly ripped open tears in his back, more bruises, cuts and lacerations than one can count, an arrow wound, an old side wound, a bad concussion and you want me to BURN him as well?? You want to kill him or what? But don't worry, Elrond will have plenty of time to worry about him ... next chapter... Thanks a lot for the feedback!!  
Reginabean - Uhm, so you liked it? Don't worry, this one doesn't end with a cliffy - at least I don't think so. But hey, you never know, do you? Some poeple say it's a cliffy, some say it isn't... *shrugs* That's life. I'm rambling, huh? Again...  
Zam - Wohoo! Just in time!! I was just about to update... Well, of course Lego-baby can sing! They all do, all the time... Actually, that was something I really hated about the books: They sing! ALL THE TIME!! Something good happens: Sing. Something bad happens: Sing. Someone dies: No problem: Sing. You cook your meal: Sing. You see the stars: Sing. That is soooo annoying!! *shakes fist* Uhm, okay... Okay - Elrond as the Emperor, that is soo something I don't want to imagine... *g* Indeed, who fired that arrow!? Read on, dear friend, and ye shall see!  
Xsilicax - *grins evilly* When did I say that things would get better once Legolas arrived? I'm positive that I NEVER said that... *g* Hmm, you're right, he should have hidden it somewhere, but I think he was quite busy being tortured and all that... *shrugs* Poor Estel. LOL. No, of course, they are not from Mirkwood bows. They are from an orc horde, which just decided to drop by and say Hi. They got along great, and so they decided to have a little fun, and they and the evil elves/men killed Aragorn, Legolas and Elrond together. Sorry, end of story. Hey! The update thing was not my fault! Really!!  
Carrie - *wide-eyed* Carrie? You? Carrie!! *huggles her* Great to see you, mate! I had thought you were gone for good... *sniff* I'm okay now, don't worry, now that you're back... Well, I always find it kind of sad when people could grow up bi-lingual but don't. My cousin is half-Italian, has an Italian passport, and she can say only two sentences or something! A real shame... Mhahaha!! No! It's never enough, there's always something more we can do to poor Aragorn... *rubs hand in glee* (Estel: Now that's scary.) *pulls Estel back* Oh no you don't! Once she's finished her story, you can so whatever you want, but until then, mister, you are going to do exactly as I say! Understood?? *pats Nólad on head* He's cute, isn't he? Took him quite some time to figure it out, but hey... *hands her cookie* Indeed, 'Dan and 'Ro to the rescue! Well, I'm thinking about a sequel, but since I have just killed off most of the characters, it might take some time to come up with new ones... *g* Thanks a lot for reviewing *huggles her again* and I am looking forward to that update! Do not disappoint me! *evil smile*  
Yasmine - *defensively* Hey, I tried, okay? Really, I've been trying since 10 pm sunday evening, and have only a few hours ago managed to really upload a chapter. It was most frustrating, you can believe me! Thanks a lot for the review though this is really as fast as I could!  
LUce - Aragorn kill Donyc, huh? Well, what can I say ... no? Sorry, but really, no way. There are three reasons: 1. He is too weak to kill him. 2. Legolas would be soooo disappointed, and we can't have that, can we? I mean, really, he has sworn that oath and all that... 3. I don't want to. *g* That's the most important reason! *g* I've always wanted to let Legolas kill Donyc, sorry... *shrugs* Great you still like it, I hope you'll enjoy the rest as well! Thanks for reviewing!  
Salara - *knuddelt sie* Hah! Und ich dachte schon, du waerest fuer immer und ewig in der Kanalisation verschwunden, so wie Angel... *peinlich beruehrt* Wo kam _das_ denn auf einmal her? Armes Wesen, ein eingeklemmter Nerv? Wie koennen du und ManuKu denn dann schoene Stories schreiben, wenn ihr beide angeschlagen seid? Geht zum Arzt und lasst euch Drogen geben, die helfen! Jetzt!! *g* Nólad-Fans also, huh? Davon gibt es mittlerweile relativ viele, haett' ich nie so gedacht... Nun denn, ich gebe zu, dass ich nicht nur review-, sondern auch cliffysuechtig bin. Zufrieden?? *g* Danke fuer's reviewen, ich dachte schon, ich haette es mit der Elrond-Angst uebertrieben und du waerest in ein Koma gefallen oder so...  
Shandrial - *grins evilly* Well, yes, it was a lot of fun to write all the Legolas-avenges-his-friend-on-Donyc-scenes, believe me! Thanks a lot for the review, I hope you'll enjoy the rest as well!  
  
**Once again, a huge Thank You to all my reviewers! You always make me laugh and because of you I try a bit harder to update sooner - which, of course, doesn't help if FF.net goes bonkers... **  
  
  
  
  



	22. Understanding

**Disclaimer: **For full disclaimer, please see chapter 1.  
  
  
**A/N:  
  
Well. That's it. The last chapter. The LAST chapter! *sobs*  
  
I still can't believe it. I have actually written and _finished_ a story. That's just ... surprising. Very surprising. Ah well, whatever... *g*  
  
First I want to thank you for your understanding, I really hated to kill off Nólad. I liked him, a lot, and the more I was writing about him, the more I hated the thought of killing him. But it had to be this way, he is much happier as it is, I think. Plus, it would have been so cliché to let him live, wouldn't you agree? Still, I'm sorry, and I am willing to hand out Nólad-clones to everyone who wants one. Better than nothing, huh? *g*   
  
Second, about the sequel:**  
**Since a lot of people asked me to write one or another story, I have decided to indeed do so. BUT it will not come out for some time, I'm afraid. I have a plot idea and everything, but I'm moving into a new flat and won't have a computer there. I know! How am I supposed to survive? I will have to work a bit to get enough money to buy one, so I have no idea when that will be. Under no circumstances before mid-May, I'm sorry. But I'm doing my best, and I think end of May is quite realistic. So look out for it in a month or two!  
  
  
Okay, on to the last chapter!  
In which we see: Worried fathers, annoying brothers, quite angry elven princes, confused rangers, and a bit of male-bonding in the end. *sighs happily* Those two are just sweet, aren't they?  
  
Enjoy and review, please!!  
For the last time...  
  
  
  
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Chapter 22  
  
  
Thranduil, son of Oropher, King of the realm that had once been known as Eryn Lasgalen, survivor of the War of the Last Alliance, the Battle of Five Armies and countless other minor wars, battles and skirmishes, stood in the courtyard and fearfully eyed the huge, ornamented magically sealed stone doors in front of him, mentally debating if he should lift the seal or not.  
  
'I could pretend I couldn't remember the words. Or that I had forgotten how to speak Quenya,' he thought with an odd sparkle in his eyes, a sparkle that strongly reminded the elves that stood behind him of his son. And if that sparkle looked scary in Legolas' eyes, it looked positively terrifying in his father's.  
  
The king slowly shook his head, knowing full well that he would have to open the doors in a few seconds, since the sentries had reported that the group they had been awaiting for the past days had been sighted a mere league away, so they would be here in a few moments. Besides, it was Legolas out there, not to mention the Lord of Imladris and his sons.  
  
'But if you open that door, things will never be the same again,' a voice told him silently. 'From what Glónduil said, it appears that Legolas and Lord Elrond's youngest have reached a whole new stage in their relentless endeavour to get themselves killed.'  
  
This entire line of thought was pointless and more than a bit ironic, of course, and the golden haired king stepped forward and firmly commanded the doors to open. While the stone swung inwards, silently moving on invisible hinges, he tried to remember when he had been this worried before. After a few seconds of giving the matter considerable thought, he decided it had been when his son had dragged himself back to these gates about a year ago, barely alive and delusional because of an angry-looking, badly poisoned spider bite.  
And now this…  
  
When the first horses came into view, moving at a breakneck speed, he shot a quick look behind him, making sure that his best healers were assembled in front of the main entrance. The laws of nature demanded that Legolas and at least two of Lord Elrond's sons were wounded, and Thranduil intended to make sure that the Lord of Rivendell had all the help he could possibly need at his disposal when he patched them up. Again.  
  
The group had reached the gates by now, and Thranduil turned back and straightened his back, balling his hands into fists in the folds of his robe and hiding the choking worry he felt. He would never again allow Legolas to leave the palace, never, and not even his patented Please-_ada_-I-promise-to-be-good-look would be able to dissuade him.  
  
The first rider to dismount was one of the twins, Elladan, the king guessed. He had never been able to tell them apart with absolute certainty, but he was relatively sure that this was the older twin, and Thranduil made sure with a quick glance that Glónduil was really confined in his quarters as he had ordered.   
He had witnessed quite a few times how fiercely protective Elladan could be towards the human Lord Elrond had claimed as his son, and he didn't want him to do something he would regret later. Something he would hopefully regret later, although the elven king doubted somehow that he would.  
  
Thranduil's eyes searched the quickly growing crowd of elves that began to fill the courtyard now, noting with some surprise that some humans accompanied his warriors, prisoners by the look of them. The king's brow wrinkled slightly, he really hoped Legolas had a good reason for just bringing some _edain_ here…  
  
The thought of his son brought him quickly out of his musings, and he stepped forward, heading to the spot where the healers clustered together. More than 2500 years of experience told him without the slightest doubt that Legolas would be right there, undoubtedly wounded in one way or another.  
  
When he had almost reached his destination, the flood of the elven healers parted for a second, and Lord Elrond stepped out of their midst, looking pale, drained, dishevelled and thoroughly exhausted, but otherwise relatively unharmed.   
  
The elf lord gave him a slight bow, relief on his face.  
"My lord, thank you for accepting us in your house at this late hour."  
  
Thranduil shook his head, genuinely pleased to see the other elf. The relationship between their two realms had greatly improved during the past ten or so years, partly because they were busy trying to come up with ways to prevent their sons from getting themselves killed, something that was much more effective if they did it together.   
"There is no need to thank me, Lord Elrond. We have been awaiting you, although we expected you tomorrow at noon, at the earliest."  
  
Elrond nodded and ran a hand through his hair, which caught in a tangled braid in an instant.  
"We travelled through the night and as fast as we could. We have urgent need of your healers' assistance."  
  
The elven king felt how the worry that constricted his throat even increased, what could be so bad that the Lord of Imladris required help?   
A horrible thought struck him, and he asked hastily, grabbing the other elf by the arm,  
  
"Is it my son? Legolas, is he…"  
  
The dark haired elf lord shook his head, the relief on his face being swiftly replaced by worry.  
"Nay, my lord, your son is alive and … he is well I think one could say, considering the circumstances. It is Estel; we need to get him inside as fast as possible."  
  
Thranduil sighed deeply, relieved beyond measure that his only child was alive and not on the brink of passing into the Halls of Waiting, which was very nice for a change.  
  
"Thank the Valar," he muttered quietly and added, remembering that the other elf probably didn't feel particularly relieved right now, "What happened, Lord Elrond? The reports I heard were vague at best."  
  
Both of them moved forwards, and the mass of elven healers parted in front of them to reveal the figures of three young elves and a young ranger, all more or less in the state of passing out from exhaustion, if they hadn't already, that was.  
The king's eyes travelled over the twins, who were for once distinguishable by the fact that Elrohir's face sported an enormous bruise and both of his arms were bandaged, over the unconscious form of Aragorn who lay on a stretcher the healers had brought with them, seemingly covered from head to toe in bandages and deathly pale, to finally come to rest on his son, whose posture was far too stiff, but whose eyes seemed to light up under the bandage that wound around his head.  
  
"Father!" Legolas exclaimed and took a wobbly step forwards, only to curse not so softly when his burnt leg crumbled under him.  
  
Thranduil quickly moved and caught his son, grasping him tightly by his left arm, since the right was bandaged tightly up to the shoulder.  
  
"Legolas!" he said, studying the younger elf's face closely, allowing the enormous relief he felt to show on his face. "Are you alright, my son?"  
  
The elven prince nodded absently, leaning heavily against his father in exhaustion.  
"Yes, _ada_, I am, but Aragorn is hurt badly. We need to get him inside, please."  
  
The king let his eyes wander over his child, deciding that this was one of the times when Legolas' and his definition of the term "alright" differed vastly. He nodded at the healers who took up the stretcher and quickly made their way towards the palace.   
Turning back to his son, he said,  
  
"You are not well yourself, Legolas, and don't try to convince me otherwise."  
  
At this Celylith stepped forwards, nodding his head at the king in respect.  
"He is not, your Majesty. If you allow, I will take him to the healers."  
  
Thranduil nodded, and the silver haired elf took Legolas' arm and firmly steered him into the direction of the house. The king had to stifle a smile when he heard his son hiss at his friend, "Traitor! Do you know what you've just done?"  
  
"Earned you some much needed bed rest, _mellonamin_. I am tired of your protestations that you are 'alright'; I say, let the healers worry about you for a while."   
  
Legolas snorted softly as they slowly made their way up the steps that led to the main entrance.  
"We'll see about that, Celylith. And I _am _alright, just a little tired."  
  
The soft laughter of his companion echoed across the slowly emptying space as the elven warriors took away the humans and guided their horses to the stables.  
"Of course you are," he said dryly as they disappeared into the building. "Whatever you say, my prince."  
  
Elrond nodded at his two elven sons, who were about to follow the healers that had taken their human brother away.  
"You may follow them. I will join you in a second."  
  
The twins nodded and, leaning heavily onto each other, made their way toward the palace, leaving the two elf lords behind.   
Turning to Thranduil, he added,  
  
"There is one other thing: With the captive men there is a boy, about twenty years old, with brown hair. His name is Seobryn, and if you would have him brought up into the palace and assigned some quarters, I would be very thankful. You have my word that he will not try to escape or wander around unattended. I will explain everything later."  
  
The King of Mirkwood nodded slightly puzzled and motioned one of the servants that stood nearby to carry out the request.  
"Your word is more than enough for me, my lord. But, please, tell me: What happened to your youngest? And to all of you, while we're at it?"  
  
The question seemed to remind the other elf once again why he was here and he began to walk hurriedly into the direction of the main entrance.  
"Many things, Lord Thranduil, many things. As for Estel, except for more broken ribs, bruises, cuts and lacerations than you could count in a human lifetime, he has developed a rather high fever from an infected arrow wound. The worst bit is his head injury though, two days ago he suffered a skull fracture. We could get him to wake up for small periods of time, even though he didn't seem to recognize us, until yesterday evening, that is. The swelling is not receding, and he isn't responding anymore. I did not have the herbs to treat his condition, and so we chose to travel through the night in an attempt to get here as quickly as possible."  
  
The golden haired elf noticed the fear and despair that were beginning to show on the other's face, and he reached out and placed a comforting hand on the elf lord's shoulder.  
"He will be fine, my lord, don't worry. That human is as stubborn as my Legolas, he won't give up that easily. My healers are excellent, and with your help Estel will recover, as he has before."  
  
Elrond smiled at the woodland king, lowering his eyes.  
"I pray that you are right, my friend. This time has been truly exceptional, even for them."  
  
Remembering the battered sight the four young ones had presented, Thranduil nodded in fervent agreement.  
"I agree, this time they have outdone themselves. It is a tale I would very much like to hear, once you have seen to your sons and taken some rest, of course."  
  
"Gladly," Elrond agreed as they climbed up the stairs, leaving the all but empty courtyard behind, "It is a long tale, and a very sad one, but, in the end, it was ended by the timely arrival of your warriors. But the game, I fear, has been lost by all of us."  
  
Thranduil blinked at the other elf's back as they quickly headed for the healing rooms. Lord Elrond, he decided, spent far too much time with Mithrandir.   
But then again, he mused with an inward smile which he did not allow to show on his face, perhaps answering as vaguely and cryptic as possible was a Noldor habit. The Lady Galadriel talked just like that as well.  
  
  
  
  
Darkness, that was all there was, all he could see, and all he could remember.  
  
All in all, it was a situation he could very well live with. Somehow, he knew that darkness was – after a time – often accompanied by pain that only grew when the darkness dimmed and dissipated entirely in the end, and he definitely chose darkness over pain.  
But until now, the darkness had shown no signs of dissipating, which was just fine with him. He couldn't remember if there had been anything before this, and, right now, he didn't really care; all that mattered to him was the fact that there was no pain and no one that disturbed him or prevented him from getting some rest.  
  
Slowly, however, the blackness that surrounded him and muffled his senses was beginning to thin and become somewhat wispy, like shreds of smoke that disappeared when a soft breeze blew it away. He groaned softly as everything happened just as he had predicted: The darkness grew more insubstantial by the second, and pain was beginning to spread in his formerly comfortably numb body with an amazing speed.  
  
He groaned again as he remembered something else: There would be a voice, pleading and coaxing him to return to consciousness, there _always_ was a voice like that. As memories of past situations like this one slowly returned, he remembered that it wasn't always the same voice, no. There were different ones, and sometimes it were more than one, but they all had one thing in common: They were incredibly annoying and persistent and wouldn't give up until they had ripped him out of the comforting dark.  
  
He winced when he heard it, one of the voices had finally made an appearance.  
"… think … waking … _ada_ …"  
  
Another voice spoke up, already much easier to understand than the first, now that the darkness was lessening quickly.  
"Estel … wake up ... just open your eyes, my son. Let us see that you are awake, please."  
  
Aragorn fought desperately to hold on to the darkness, moaning softly when stabs of pain cut through his head. Curse these voices!  
  
Against his will, his body tried to obey the commands the voices issued, and, bit by painful bit, it made its way towards consciousness. Giving up with an annoyed growl, he decided that he could try to make it as quickly as he could then, do as the voices asked and return to the wonderful, numb darkness that would take all the pain away.  
  
Trying with all his might now, Estel finally managed to open his eyes, regretting it instantly as far too bright light shot through his head. With another moan he squeezed the lids tightly shut, wondering if, this time, the voices wanted to kill him perhaps. It certainly felt that way.  
  
The voices mumbled softly, and he felt a hand touch his forehead, shielding his eyes.  
  
"It is alright now, my son, open your eyes. Please, Aragorn, just a minute."  
  
His entire being told him to trust this voice, that he could always trust this voice, and so he obeyed slowly, blinking as he tried to get his eyes to focus. After a few seconds, the hand was removed, and he stared into a blurry face, a face so blurry that he couldn't even tell where it ended and where the room began.  
  
It seemed to smile at him though, and Estel was sure he heard immense relief in the voice.  
"Welcome back, Estel. Do you remember me? Can you tell me what happened?"  
  
He just stared at the face in front of him, trying very hard to remember. Before the blackness … had there been anything? Slowly, for those in the room agonizingly so, images began to come back, of sneering faces and pain, and then, the faces of four elves that leant over him, three of them dark haired and the fourth with pale golden hair…  
  
The young man blinked again, and this time, the face in front of him seemed to swim into focus for a short time, just long enough for him to recognize it with a weak smile.  
'_Ada_,' he mouthed, surprised to find that his voice wouldn't work.  
  
Elrond smiled down at him, having obviously understood what he had been trying to say. He briefly closed his eyes before fixing them back on the pale face of his foster son, for a moment he had really thought the boy couldn't remember him…  
  
"Yes, Estel, I am here, and I won't go anywhere, don't worry. Don't try to talk, you got a very hard hit on the head, my son." Noticing the way Aragorn's eyes wandered unsteadily across the room, he added, "Your brothers are fine, as are Legolas and the other warriors. No one was seriously hurt except for you and the prince, which is something that doesn't surprise me in the slightest anymore."  
  
The young human frowned slightly; Legolas had been hurt? He remembered his elven friend leaning over him, his face pale and bruised, telling him that Donyc was dead… What had that human done to his friend? He needed to see for himself that he was all right…  
  
Before his father could stop him, he tried to sit up and lift his head, which, as he quickly discovered, was the stupidest thing he had done in a long time, probably since he had fallen off that tree right into the laps of Donyc and his men. The world grew blinding white and then black as night, and his head exploded into countless ragged pieces, well, that was what it felt like anyway. All thoughts of his family and friend disappeared under the wave of staggering agony that swept through his head, causing other parts of his body to scream in pain as well.  
  
Trying desperately to get the pain under control, he finally gave up and whimpered softly as the pain even increased. One of these days, he decided fuzzily, he would get the voices for having ripped him out of that wonderful darkness for_ this_…  
  
A moment later he felt a hand carefully lift his bandaged head and a cup being pressed against his lips, urging him to drink. In too much pain to resist, he allowed his father to pour some of the bitter concoction into his mouth, something that alarmed Elrond even more than the agonised expression on the young ranger's face. If Aragorn was drinking any medicine without protesting, resisting, trying to escape or at the very last glaring daggers at the person making him drink it, he had to be in a _lot_ of pain.  
  
Slowly Estel's body began to relax as the potion took effect, and the lines of pain on his face smoothed slightly. Elrond gently ran his hand over his son's dark hair, desperately wishing he could take away the pain the young man was suffering. Suffering because of _him_…  
  
"Rest, Estel," he soothed, continuing to stroke his hair, "We are all save, go back to sleep. The next time you awake you will feel much better, I promise."  
  
The young human's breathing evened out as he fell back asleep, and Elladan looked at his father with worried eyes, running a hand over his face.  
"Will he be alright, _ada_? That was normal, wasn't it?"  
  
Elrond nodded, smiling at the twins that were standing at the foot of the bed, having vacated their armchairs when their human brother had shown the first signs of waking, the first signs since that evening on their way to Mirkwood four days ago.  
"Yes, Elladan, he will be just fine. It will take some time for him to heal, I'm afraid, for he is very weak, but he will be fine. He just tried to move too soon, which I should have thought of, really. He will have to stay in bed for quite some time though."  
  
Elrohir shot his twin brother an wicked look, the bruises on his face all but healed.  
"How much time?" he asked, turning twinkling eyes on their father.  
  
Elrond raised an eyebrow, but replied,  
  
"Well, two weeks at the least."  
  
At that an identical grin spread over his elven sons' features, a grin that made him think of asking King Thranduil to post a guard outside Estel's quarters for that time, just in case. Ignoring the wicked sparkle in their eyes, he rose and gently pushed them into the direction of the door.  
"Don' t you dare. We are not at home, don't forget that. King Thranduil most graciously allowed us to stay for as long as we wish, even after the last time, which is something I absolutely refuse to remember, by the way. Don't even think about it! Besides, your brother needs rest now."  
  
"Exactly," Elrohir grinned at his father. "He needs rest. And after two days he will get bored and will try to escape, and then we will be here, reminding him of it."  
  
"Once or twice a day…" Elladan added as they reached the door, giving his sleeping brother a fond look.  
  
"Every hour…"  
  
"All day long…"  
  
"All night long…"  
  
Before the twins could elaborate their plans for their little brother any further, Elrond shut the door in their faces, cutting off their laughing voices.  
  
Making his way back to his foster son's side, he once again thanked the Valar that they had protected his sons and given them back to him, even though in several pieces.   
Protected them so that they could go back to their favourite pastime, namely trying to drive each other insane, but he wasn't complaining. As long as they were all alive, he was willing to overlook some small matters such as these, for the time being, that was.  
  
  
  
  
The next morning, Legolas was hurrying down the corridors that would lead him to his rooms, shooting furtive glances over his shoulder once in a while. He rounded a corner and nearly ran straight into Celylith who reached out to steady him, noticing the way the prince was still somewhat unsteady on his feet.  
Legolas just shot his friend a venomous look, shook off his hands and continued walking down the hallway.  
  
The silver haired elf raised an eyebrow and hurried after him.  
"You know, the usual thing to say is 'I'm sorry', or 'Excuse me', or even 'Thank you for preventing me from falling flat on my face'. If your father knew…"  
  
Legolas' face darkened even more.  
"I am not talking to you," he replied, keeping his eyes straight ahead.  
  
Celylith grinned, understanding beginning to dawn on his face.  
"Why not, my friend?" he asked, already guessing the answer.  
  
The prince stopped and grabbed his friend's arm, fake anger on his face.  
"Why not? Well, dear friend, let me tell you why not! Because I had to spend the last three days in the hospital wing, because you so kindly informed my father that I was, and I quote, 'not alright'! How would you know!? Have you any idea how incredibly boring it was? And I think the master healer even enjoyed keeping me there! Was it my fault that Lord Elrond told him he was an idiot to give our warrior useless herbs? I think not!"  
  
Celylith quickly stifled the smile that was threatening to spread on his face.  
"Lord Elrond didn't call him an idiot. He is just worried about Estel, everybody knows that. He merely said it was a questionable decision…"  
  
"Which, in diplomatic terms, means just the same," Legolas grumbled.  
  
"…and, strictly speaking, it was your fault. You brought him here, after all."  
  
The fair haired elf shot his friend a threatening glare and opened his mouth for a scathing reply, but was interrupted by the cheerful voice of Elrohir.  
  
"And we are very thankful for that. We had feared we would never see these woods again, not after the … spider incident last year. Your father was quite upset, I believe."  
  
Legolas rolled his eyes and gave the younger twin a long-suffering look, stifling a smile on his own when he looked at him. Elrohir's shoulder was still bandaged, for even an elven body needed some time to heal broken bones, and the collarbone _had_ been broken, of course. The younger twin still grumbled and claimed that the whole thing was a conspiracy cooked up by his brother to annoy him, but now it was healing quickly, something for which the prince was thankful. There was only one thing worse than a healthy and cheerful twin, and that was an ill-tempered one.   
  
"If you would excuse me, I need to go back to my rooms. I have a meeting with my father in an hour, and I still need to come up with a way to explain all this to him."  
  
Elladan appeared next to his twin and narrowed his eyes, looking at the prince suspiciously.  
"Are you escaping or have they actually allowed you to get up and leave? Because if you are out of bed against _ada's_ orders, I will leave now and pretend not to know you. We have already stressed our luck with him, there's no need to push it."  
  
The prince grinned and started moving, trailed by the three other elves.  
"Believe it or not, the healers have actually allowed me to leave. I think I annoyed them so much that they did it in a desperate attempt to save their sanity… How is Strider?" he asked, sudden worry on his features.  
  
Elrohir placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, smiling at him.  
"Don't worry, Legolas, he will be fine. He awoke shortly yesterday and recognized father, so _ada_ says he will make a full recovery, given time."  
  
Legolas stopped dead in his tracks, giving them an accusing look.  
"He has woken up? Why did nobody inform me? You promised me to tell me right away should he regain consciousness!"  
  
Elladan sighed and gently pushed the prince into the direction of his quarters, forcing him to resume his walk. Yes, they had indeed promised, for that had been the only thing that would keep Legolas quiet and in his bed.  
"He sleeps again, Legolas, he was awake for only a few minutes. There was no reason to tell you, father said he will not wake up for two or three more hours."  
  
Catching Elrohir's pleading gaze, Celylith nodded and asked, trying to divert his friend's attention,  
  
"Has the king already decided what to do with Glónduil?"  
  
The silver haired elf's eyes were cold and hard when he spoke the other elf's name, he hadn't forgiven him his actions yet, and he doubted that he ever would. True, he had needed some time himself to accept the fact that Legolas now spent more time with Strider than with them, but every time he saw the deep friendship they shared, he understood just why the prince had chosen to befriend that ranger.   
Besides, it was nearly impossible not to like the cheerful young human, and every time he and his brothers visited, one could be sure to be in for an interesting time.  
  
Legolas shook his head, his expression unreadable.  
"Not yet. It is one of the things we will discuss, I think. He still claims that he didn't know what Cornallar was planning, and I think I believe him."  
  
Elladan's face darkened, his eyes flashing dangerously.  
"How could he not have known? What did he think that elf and the humans were planning to do to Estel, invite him for a feast?"  
  
"He might have guessed something, and if he had used any energy at all to think about it, he would have found out the truth, but I am convinced that he never really intended to harm your brother or father," Legolas tried to appease his friend, quickly deciding that Glónduil needed to leave the palace as soon as possible, whatever his punishment might turn out to be. There was no telling what would happen if the older twin came across the dark haired elf.  
  
"That doesn't change anything," Elladan hissed fiercely, his eyes dark with barely suppressed anger.  
  
His bother took a step closer and put an arm around his shoulder, looking at him seriously.  
"Estel is alright, brother, he will be fine. Those responsible for what happened to him are dead or captured, and he will recover. He needs you to help him get well again, not stare darkly into empty space planning how to avenge him on someone that isn't even responsible for his wounds. I know how you feel, but it won't do any good.  
Don't let this consume you, let it go."  
  
Elladan returned the gaze steadily and finally gave his younger brother a smile.  
"I am the oldest, I am supposed to say such things," he said, his eyes serious even though his voice was light. "But you are right, brother, it is foolish. Glónduil isn't even worth the thoughts we give him, and he was probably truly too stupid to consider the consequences of his actions."  
  
Legolas smiled at the twins, feeling as if the first steps towards healing had just been made, and in his heart he began to forgive his former friend.   
Aragorn had dismissed Glónduil's involvement as insubstantial when he had told him about it in the caves, and if Aragorn and his brothers could put this behind them, then so could he.  
  
  
  
  
"_Ada_…"  
  
Elrond closed his eyes, wondering briefly how it was possible that Estel was already feeling well enough to argue with him. He opened them again and gave his foster son the _look_, which was more formidable now than ever, if one took the fact into account that he had spent a whole week improving it by staring at the men that had been accompanying him over the Misty Mountains.  
  
"Drink it. Now. It will reduce your headache, and don't even try to tell me that you don't have one. And there are your ribs, shoulder and back as well. I promise it will not send you to sleep."  
  
Aragorn gave him a pleading look, doing his best to look pitiful. With his pale, bruised face and the enormous bandage that wound around his head, he looked indeed more than just a bit pitiful, but the Lord of Imladris had had more than 2800 years of experience with pitiful looks directed at him by his sons, and therefore wasn't very impressed.  
  
"Very well, Estel. How many fingers am I holding up?" Elrond asked, raising two fingers.  
  
Aragorn scowled at his father, Elrond knew perfectly well that his vision was still blurred! Leaning back into the pillows, he squinted and guessed,  
  
"Uhm, three?"  
  
His father just smiled at him and pressed the cup that held the bitter medicine into the young man's hand.  
"Drink up."  
  
Estel opened his mouth to protest, but as Elrond knitted his brows and narrowed his eyes, he hurried to comply. After all, his father was right, his head hurt horribly, and he wasn't feeling strong enough to quarrel with him over this subject.  
  
He closed his eyes and downed the cup, grimacing at the bad taste, his head still spinning with the new information he had just received. His father had told him all that had happened since Gwaer had been killed, with the twins chiming in or correcting small mistakes.  
  
A few minutes ago his brothers had left with Celylith who had stopped by to see how the young ranger was doing, claiming that they would go and have a look at the horses.   
'Ha, the horses!' Aragorn thought, swallowing the last of the medicine, 'I don't know what Celylith wants to show them, but I am very sure it is not a horse! Besides, Elrohir won't go anywhere near the stables, he's still afraid of Legolas' horse…'  
  
His thought quickly strayed to his elven friend, and from him to all that had happened in the past few weeks. So many people had died, just because of the illogical, ill-founded hate of a single person…  
  
"Estel?" Elrond asked softly, taking the cup from his son. "What is on your mind, my son?"  
  
Aragorn let his head sink back into the soft pillows, wincing as that movement pulled against the stitches in his back.  
"All that happened, _ada_… You say there are only ten human survivors, that means that nearly thirty were killed! So many … and Nólad as well! He didn't deserve to die, he did all he could to protect me without betraying his lord! Without him I wouldn't have survived the journey over the mountains, of that I'm sure. It is not fair, _ada_!"  
  
Elrond smiled sadly at his foster son.  
"I know, Estel, I know. But it is not your fault. The humans chose their own fate, they must have known what the consequences to their actions would be. And Nólad, I think, has finally found the peace that had been denied to him all these long years here on Arda. He chose as well, he chose to follow his friend to the end."  
  
The young human looked up as he heard the odd ringing in his foster father's voice, a tone of voice that had already been present when Elrond had talked about how he had killed the dark haired elf.  
"And neither was it yours, father," he said quietly, reaching out with a bandaged hand to weakly squeeze Elrond's hand. "You had no choice. You did the only thing you could."  
  
"Really?" the Lord of Rivendell asked, his eyes adopting a pained look. "I killed another elf. I am a healer, Estel, not a warrior, not anymore... Perhaps I could have found a way to make him see reason, perhaps Cornallar could have found healing in the Undying Lands… Perhaps I could have done something to save him, but no, I killed him instead. I did what he wanted me to do in the end, and by now I think that he has won the game after all."  
  
Aragorn began to shake his head, but froze as sharp pain lanced through his temples. He gritted his teeth until the fit passed, blinking several times as his vision blurred even more.  
  
"Don't say such a thing, please," he begged his father. "It is not true. You did all you could to save him, you offered him every chance to step down and end it, but he refused. All he could see was his vengeance, and if even Nólad couldn't convince him that he was doing the wrong thing, how could you have? And if he would have wanted to sail to Valinor, he would have done so a long time ago.   
Perhaps you have done what he wanted you to in killing him, yes, but you have the same choice he had when his son was killed: You can either accept the fact that there was nothing you could have done differently, nothing that would have made a difference, or you can let yourself be consumed by anger, pain and doubt.  
He chose badly, and it led him to death and destruction in the end. But it was his choice, and no one but him can be blamed for what happened."  
  
Elrond studied the face of his human son, wondering why humans had to grow so quickly. It seemed only yesterday that the boy had been brought into his house, crying for his parents and looking around him with big, frightened eyes. And now he sat here, lecturing him about guilt and the choices that are laid before every being in life.  
  
'And he is right,' he admitted inwardly, smiling fondly at the young man, 'He has truly grown up, and soon now will he leave us to follow his destiny. But please, Ilúvatar, not yet.'  
  
"You speak wisely, my son, far wiser than anyone of your age should," he said, taking Aragorn's hand in both of his.  
  
His youngest son smiled back.  
"Well, I had a lot of time to think about it," he said as his eyes wandered to his left hand that was being encircled by his father's long fingers, coming to rest on the Ring of Barahir that once again was on his forefinger.   
It had been there when he had awoken, as if these past weeks had been nothing but a nightmare, a figment of his imagination. He knew Elrond had taken it from Cornallar after the dark haired elf's death, but he didn't ask him about it, and his foster father didn't seem too keen to comment on it. In the end, he didn't really care, he was just contend that he had it back, even though it had sharply brought to his attention that his life was in danger should anyone find out who he truly was.  
  
"Estel?" his father's worried voice drew him out of his thoughts. He blinked and pushed these thoughts into the back of his mind, he was too tired to think about it now.  
  
"I'm fine," he mumbled, looking up to meet Elrond's still slightly worried gaze.   
After a second, he asked,   
  
"What will happen to the men? And to Seobryn?"  
  
He had been quick to confirm that Seobryn had indeed been trying to help him, and that his refusal to give Addramyr the sword had probably bought the twins enough time to arrive and save his life.  
  
Elrond had assured his human son that he had believed Seobryn when he had told him what had happened before Elladan and Elrohir's arrival, and that the boy was staying in his own quarters and not in the dungeons, still slightly nervous because of all the elves around him, but otherwise unharmed. The elf lord had had a talk with the terrified boy on their way here, who was firmly convinced that they would all be killed once they arrived at their destination, and had soon found out that he truly had done all he could to stay away from the fighting.  
  
"I don't know what will happen to the humans, Estel," he admitted, shaking his head. "It will be for Lord Thranduil to decide, for they fall under his jurisdiction, if under anyone's. But I would think he'd turn them over to the next human settlement, perhaps Dale or one of the nearby towns. The humans there do not look too kindly on mercenaries who jeopardise their relationship with Mirkwood."  
  
He smiled when he saw the impatient sparkle in the young ranger's eyes; patience was something Aragorn still needed to learn.  
"And Seobryn … you do not think the rangers could take him in?"  
  
Aragorn had to stifle a laugh at that, holding his breath when his ribcage protested.  
"Definitely not, father. He is the clumsiest being I have ever met, he wouldn't last a day with them. Even orcs would be able to hear him for miles."  
  
"I thought so," Elrond mumbled, playing with a ring on his hand in thought. "Well, I have an idea, but I will have to talk with the king about that, for I would need his help, and his permission of course, because technically, the boy is still a prisoner of Mirkwood. But don't worry, I am sure he will agree."  
  
"What kind of idea? Please, _ada_, tell me!" Aragorn said, curiosity in his eyes.  
  
"I will talk with the king about it, young one, and if he gives his permission, I will tell you," the elf lord answered, giving his son a stern look. When he noticed the rebellious look on the boy's face, he added, "Seobryn would be with good people and would have a real chance to start a new life, and he wouldn't have to display any stealth whatsoever. King Thranduil should be able to make the necessary arrangements. Patience, my son, patience."  
  
"Alas, Lord Elrond, he doesn't even know the meaning of that word! I have been trying to teach him since we met, but without success, as you can see…"  
  
Two dark heads swivelled to the left, and two pair of grey eyes fixed – one rather reluctantly – one the broadly grinning figure of Legolas who stood in the doorway, leaning casually against the doorframe to take some strain off his burnt leg, something that was not lost on Elrond.   
He was about to give him the _look_ and ask him what exactly he thought he was doing running around like this, when the voice of his youngest child interrupted him.  
  
"Legolas!" Aragorn called, silver eyes shining brightly with relief. "Are you well? They refused to tell me what had happened to you, are you alright?"  
  
"I am fine, Estel, don't worry," Legolas said and stepped into the room, settling down into an armchair one of the twins had dragged over to his brother's bed. "'Twas nothing serious anyway, just a few scratches."  
  
At that the Lord of Imladris raised an eyebrow, staring at the younger elf in disbelief.  
"Scratches, son of Thranduil?" he questioned. "Well, what about the broken ribs…"  
  
"Only three, my lord, the rest was merely cracked," Legolas replied, smiling innocently.  
  
"…the cuts and bruises…"  
  
"Not worth mentioning."  
  
"…the concussion and rather severely burnt leg…"  
  
"I have had much worse, Lord Elrond."  
  
"…and the knife that stuck out of your shoulder for so long that we had almost forgotten to remove it because we had become so used to the sight?"  
  
"There was a knife?"  
  
Elrond shook his head in mock dismay, stifling a smile, while Aragorn burst out laughing, for a short time anyway, until his body let him know what exactly it thought of that pastime.  
After he had caught his breath, the young ranger asked,  
  
"Knife? Burnt leg? What _happened_ to you, Legolas?"  
  
The Lord of Rivendell got up and gazed at both of them seriously before the prince could reply.  
"You are both not well yet, so please, don't overdo it. I will give you exactly fifteen minutes before I come back and throw you," he nodded into Legolas' direction, "out so Estel can get some rest. Do you understand?"  
  
Both of them nodded earnestly, innocent looks on their faces, and Elrond left the room, wondering once again how he should survive the next two weeks. Perhaps he could convince Thranduil that he had urgent business in Lothlórien? He could go and visit Glorfindel until Aragorn and Legolas were well again…  
  
No, he thought as he closed the door, he wouldn't go anywhere near Lórien as long as his golden haired advisor was there. He really was not in the mood for his You-cannot-be-serious-please-tell-me-you-are-joking-look that would closely be followed by the I-told-you-so-speech and the Things-a-proper-elf-lord-never-does-speech.   
'Ilúvatar, just when did my life become so complicated?'  
  
Aragorn watched the door close behind his father before looking at his friend with wide eyes.  
"Are you really alright, Legolas? What did Donyc do to you?"  
  
The elven prince smiled at his human friend, leaning back into the stuffy armchair.  
"Nothing much, Estel, really. There was a knife, yes, but that was about all. Elves heal quickly, as you well know. How are _you_?"  
  
The young human stopped himself just before he could shake his head, and decided to just smile at Legolas.  
"I am fine, or at least I will be, my friend. And now quit stalling and tell me!"  
  
Legolas quickly told Aragorn about the fight in the cave, only leaving out the part where Donyc had taunted him with an account of what he had done to the younger man. He was quite sure that his friend didn't want to be reminded of that, and it would probably take the young ranger some time to put it behind him.  
  
Aragorn listened quietly until the prince had finished his tale.  
"So he is truly dead," he said softly, closing his eyes.  
  
The fair haired elf nodded.  
"He is, _mellonamin_. And if you ask me, he died a far too quick death."  
  
The young man opened his eyes again, giving him a strained smile.  
"I hate to say it, but I agree."  
  
Legolas smiled at his human friend and let his eyes wander over the room that Lord Elrond had turned into a makeshift herb room and the twins into their temporary quarters, since they had refused to leave Aragorn's side before he had woken up.  
"Where are those creatures you call your brothers? I had thought they were here."  
  
Aragorn gave a careful shrug.  
"They were, until Celylith took them to the stables to look at some horses. Really, Legolas, that elf is the worst liar I have seen in a long time. Do you know what they are up to?"  
  
Legolas gave his friend a horror-stricken look.  
"The stables? Oh, please Elbereth, he hasn't really kept it, has he…"  
  
"Kept what? Legolas?"  
  
Legolas closed his eyes as he slowly shook his head. He had quickly found out just why that supply bag had moved and hissed: It was very displeased to have been separated from its colony and didn't like horses – or elves – overly much.   
  
The spider inside the bag, of course, not the bag itself.   
  
Celylith had apparently really found the baby spider which he had tracked a few days ago, and had brought it with him, convinced that this was the breakthrough in the relationship between their two races.  
  
Legolas had been able to stop his friend before he could open the bag to show him how sweet and adorable the spider really was, and ordered him to get rid of the thing once they arrived in Mirkwood. Celylith had promised to do so, but apparently he hadn't been able to part with the "sweet, gorgeous little thing".   
The prince winced when he remembered the hostile hissing the arachnid had emitted during their heated discussion, an endless series of "Wicked, wicked!!" and "Nasty elves, put me down, nasty!".  
  
"Legolas?" Aragorn prompted again.  
  
The elf opened his eyes and shook his head again.  
"You don't want to know, Aragorn, you just don't want to know. Trust me on this. I will tell you later. If the palace still stands, that is. Perhaps I will simply leave with Glónduil and never come back…"  
  
"Where is he going?" Aragorn asked, leaning back into the pillows and suppressing a yawn. He was feeling quite exhausted, his father had a point there…  
  
Legolas studied his friend's tired face as he replied.  
"He is going north-east with the next long-term patrol that is leaving. It is a patrol whose captain is extremely open and tolerant – don't say it, for a wood-elf, I know. They will be gone for over at least two years, it will be more than enough time for him to reconsider his attitude towards other races. It was quite hard to convince my father not to have him thrown into the dungeons for the next few centuries."  
  
The human nodded, feeling relieved that this was all that would happen to the dark haired elf. He didn't really like him, and he had had to endure more than his fair share of taunting and degrading remarks from him, but he didn't blame him for what had happened. He was quite sure the elf had never meant him any harm, and Cornallar would have found other ways if Glónduil hadn't supplied him with information. One could say about him what one wanted, but the dark haired elf had been anything but unimaginative.  
  
"Good," he said, struggling to keep his eyes from closing, "I fear Elladan has still some things to discuss with him."  
  
The elven prince laughed, rummaging through his pockets.  
"You could say that, my friend."  
  
The young human frowned, watching his friend.  
"What are you looking for?"  
  
Legolas' face lit up as his fingers closed around a small object he had found in the breast pocket of his leather vest.  
"I have something for you, Strider," he said, pulling his hand out of his pocket. "Your brothers instructed me to return it to you once we found you."  
  
He opened his hand and offered his friend the small, silver, leaf-shaped brooch Cornallar had sent together with his note not so long ago. The prince studied the small piece of jewellery closely, once again marvelling at its beauty and wondering how it had managed to survive the entire journey without a scratch or dent.  
  
Aragorn reached up and Legolas put the brooch in his hand, closing his fingers tightly around his friend's.  
  
"I hadn't even noticed," the ranger muttered, his eyes filling with guilt, "I never noticed it was gone."  
  
The fair haired elf shook his head, giving a short laugh.  
"And nobody could blame you, _mellonamin_. I am sure you had other things on your mind."  
  
The young man looked seriously at his friend, inclining his head as far as he could without risking it to implode again.  
"Thank you," he said softly. "Thank you for returning this. It means a lot to me."  
  
"I know, Strider, I know," Legolas answered, squeezing his hand gently before placing his friend's arm on his bandaged chest. "I think you should get some rest, Estel. Your father will be here soon."  
  
"Well, he isn't back yet, is he?" Aragorn asked, a mischievous sparkle in his silver eyes.  
  
"No, Aragorn, whatever it is you are thinking, I will have no part in it," Legolas said hastily, eyeing the door fearfully. "I have not gone through all this to rescue you only to see Lord Elrond kill you for being out of bed or something like that. I would like to see you healed before you go and get yourself injured once more."  
  
"Valar, what is it? Are you still sulking because of that bow?" Aragorn asked incredulously.  
  
Legolas shot him a nasty look.  
"It was my very favourite bow, human, and it was a lot older than you."   
  
He smiled at his friend, turning serious again.   
"But it was well worth it."  
  
Aragorn gazed at him, suddenly looking older than he was.  
"Thank you," he said simply, those two words conveying more than many sentences.  
  
The elven prince simply nodded, brushing a strand of dark hair away from his friend's forehead.  
"You should go to sleep, Estel, or your father will have my hide."  
  
Estel smiled and closed his eyes, before opening them again, fixing a pleading stare on the elf.  
"You haven't finished that song."  
  
Legolas raised an amused eyebrow.  
"How would you know? You fell asleep after the first three verses."  
  
"One more reason to finish it. Please?" Aragorn asked, tightening his fingers around the brooch.  
  
Legolas shrugged lightly, smiling fondly at the young human.  
"If you insist, my friend, I will even sing it all over again."  
  
"I insist," Estel mumbled tiredly, closing his eyes again.  
  
The prince lightly touched his friend's cheek.  
"Reckless human."  
  
"Stubborn elf."  
  
  
  
  
A short while later, Lord Elrond walked down the corridor, past Legolas' room to his human son's, a pile of white bandages in his hands. As he steeled himself for another argument that would surely ensure if he tried to remove Legolas from Estel's room, he suddenly stopped, his ears straining to pinpoint the location of the faint singing he could hear. After a second, he decided that it came from Estel's room, and, intrigued, he walked up the hallway to the doors and entered as soundlessly as possible.  
  
The occupants of the room obviously hadn't noticed his appearance, and so he remained standing in the doorway, smiling at the sight before him.  
  
His human son was lying in his bed fast asleep, still looking pale and exhausted, but already a lot better than in the past days. Next to him, in an armchair that looked as if it didn't belong in this room, sat the Prince of Mirkwood, one hand resting lightly on his friend's chest that rose and fell with every breath the man took, singing a song that Elrond had never heard before.  
  
Elrond's smile broadened, and he quietly leaned against the wall, watching the friends. As he listened to Legolas' clear voice, he suddenly understood that Estel had indeed been correct, even more than he himself had known.  
  
This had never been about the game, as Cornallar had claimed. There had never been a game, it had only existed in his former advisor's twisted mind. Besides, it weren't the players that mattered, it were the pieces, the pieces one could never fully control. These pieces had motives the other elf had never known, and never felt, and that was the reason why he had failed in the end.   
  
There were some things that mattered more than one's own life, and one of those was the need to protect those you loved. But Cornallar, so blinded by grief and hate, had only seen his own darkness reflected in others, and had slowly forgotten that not he was controlling the pieces, but that the pieces were beginning to slip out of his grasp.  
  
That was something the dark haired elf had never understood, Elrond thought as he slowly left the room, he had never understood that, sometimes, there was friendship so true and binding that it was all that truly mattered.   
It was something Cornallar's son had understood though, and so did the two young ones in front of him, the elf lord mused, giving his son and the prince one last look before he closed the door.  
  
He leaned against the door and took a deep breath, for the first time in weeks feeling truly at peace.  
  
'Nay, Cornallar, the game was over the second you made your first move, and you never had full control of it. It just took some time to become apparent, and when it did, you weren't prepared to face the facts,' he thought, slowly beginning to walk down the corridor.  
  
Behind him, the song continued, floating loftily through the hallways, a symbol of a friendship so strong that nothing but death would ever be able to separate it, and Elrond decided with a smile that it was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard in his long life.  
  
**  
  
  
  
** **The End**  
  
  
  
  
_ada - father (daddy)  
edain - humans, men_  
_mellonamin - my friend_  
  
  
  
  
**I know I know I know: What are Elrond's plans for Seobryn? And what about the sweet little spider? Well, my friends,** **I need something to motivate you to read the next story as well, don't I? The questions will be answered in a few months, don't worry... *runs off to escape readers' wrath* Mhahaha, I am so evil... *g*  
  
  
Okay, this is the place where I want to thank a few people.  
  
First, again, Halo Son and Lina Skye for telling me to write a story in the first place, something which I never would have considered otherwise.  
  
Second, my little sister for encouraging and supporting me, and for coming up with ... uhm, let's just say interesting ways to hurt Aragorn and Legolas, even though I rarely used her ideas, which is a good thing, believe me! Thanks a lot, little one! (Mhaha, she hates it when I call her that!)   
  
Third, the Coca Cola Company for inventing Diet Coke with Lemon (Hmmmm, yummy!!), which kept me going on more than one occasion. Countless litres were devoured in the process of writing this fic.  
  
And, last but not least, all my LOVELY reviewers. It is impossible to overestimate the amount of encouragement I received from you, and I would very much like to thank all of you, again. You helped me beat off the plot bunnies, gave** **me lots of lovely ideas (I never wanted to poison Legolas, really!! *g*), and continuously made my day! Thanks so much for your support! *huggles all of them*  
  
Very well, this is it then, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did, and I enjoyed it a LOT, believe me.**  
  
**If you want to (*grim, threatening look*), send a last review to tell me what you think about the story as a whole, and I will see you in a few month, hopefully end of May!  
  
  
Nili**  
  
  
  


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**Additional A/N:  
  
**Acacia - *g* Don't worry, Aragorn will wake up! I need him for the next fic! Hey, you're right! JKR does it as well, but she mentioned Yorkshire Pudding! And there was something else that was plain disgusting, but I've forgotten what it was... Ah well. I'm getting old.  
Sabercrazy - *grins evilly* Yeah well, if all this taught us one thing, it is never to get one of them angry at you. And never ever to hurt their little brother/son/best friend. At least not if you want to see another sunrise... As I said, I'm sorry for Nólad. Really. But you're right, he's happy now - althought I've heard that Lina Skye has broken him out of the Halls of Mandos to kep him as her personal love slave... *g* Uh-huh, Elrond is NOT a happy camper right now...  
Imbefaniel - Oh, poor you! *pats her back* But insulting the Valar is never a good thing... Oh, I had completely forgotten about the new year, thanks! I hope you manage to make a new, beautiful, even better bow! You could five it to Legolas, the poor little elfling... *g*  
Lina - LOL, what? A gay cross-dresser? Well, if you intended to get him to spare Estel's life, than that wasn't exactly the right thing to say... *g* Well, yes, this time I agree with you, Cornallar IS nuts. But hey, we knew that, didn't we? *grabs Lina by the shirt* Will you just stop it? You run into every scene and slap and hit and insult my characters! Enough is enough! You threaten my characters, and I fall back. You hit and b**** slap them, and I fall back. The line must be drawn here, this far, no farther! I will make you pay for what you've done.... Éomer! Get here out of here before I do something I will NOT regret later!! *g* J/K.... *giggles* Your love-slave, huh? Well, uhm, okay then! And don't worry, I won't kill Estel ... not in this story, anyway... Ooops, did I just say that out loud? *huggles her* Thanks so much for all your reviews! They are so great!  
Reginabean - *tears in eyes* Oh, that was so beautiful ... the white little pamphlet... disappearing into the clouds... *blows nose* Awww! Well, I'm sorry for Nólad, really. But hey, you'll get over it! I did - after a month or two...  
ManuKu - *nervoeses Kichern* Uhm, ja, fuer Deprimierte war das Kapitel auch nicht unbedingt gedacht... Aber okay, wenn ich dich zum Weinen gebracht habe, dann ist meine Mission doch erfuellt! Ich meine, wenn ich dich zum Heulen bringen kann, dann muss es ja ganz gut gewesen sein ... und wie gesagt, ich habe auch geweint - aber nur ein ganz klitze-kleines bisschen! *verbeugt sich tief* Danke fuer das Kompliment, langsam bekomme ich Uebung in den Kampfszenen! Woll'n wir doch mal sehen, wer hier das Sagen hat... *g*  
ThE iNsAnE oNe - Uhm, I'm sorry about the school uniform? And I AM sorry, really! And see, you still have your Nólad-clone, you can huggle him all you want! But be a bit careful, even clones tend to suffocate if squeezed too tightly... *wide eyes* O-kay, I take it that you liked the Donyc-dies-scene then? He deserved it, that mean little... I'm calm. I'm calm... And see, all the baddies are dead, including Cornallar, and Nólad is really happier now. Once he can escape Lina who has kidnapped him and made him her love-slave, that is... *g* Well, you have your clone, where is ITB? Huh?? Where??  
Lady Lenna - *g* Glad you liked Donyc's death, I was grinning myself when I wrote it... It's great you like it, and don't worry, Estel is NOT dead. I would never kill him! Well, not in _this_ story, anyway... *evil grin*  
Coreinha - Well, yes, it was a very sad scene, I'll admit that... Meep! Your profs? *hastily* No, don't worry, Estel's just fine, don't worry! See?? See???? Thanks a lot for all your reviews!!  
Froggy - Well, I wouldn't know about French phrases, but C'est la vie fitted just fine! But hey, I know perhaps twenty words, so I wouldn't know... *g* Don't worry, our fav ranger will be fine, and Elladan's hair is back to normal now. But I'm sure he hasn't forgotten about it.... *g*  
Mommints - Just ignore the warriors. They're spoil sports, nothing more... *g* Awww... *blushes crimson* Thanks so much for the compliments! I am so glad you like it! Wow, wicked! I have my own scimitar! Yay! Be afraid, be very afraid... *g* You are right, large battlescenes are just the horror! I hated mine every step of the way, and I didn't even write a large one! Thanks a lot for your reviews, and good luck with your battle!  
A.Katz Omnipotent King - Thanks! Finally, someone who understands the needs to sacrifice characters, no matter how much you like them! Well, I will read your parody once I managed to get a computer, which might take some time, but hey... *g* And thanks for saying that, I HATE writing battle scenes... Well, I updated so fast because I was always at least one chapter ahead, most of the time two or three. So I could update even when the last few days were to busy to write.. Sorry, no, I have't sen Chicago, but one of these days I will. Probably... *g*. And: 'Ach du lieber Gott! Es regnet blaue Hosen!' Was soll DAS denn bitte heissen? Und wo hast du das her? *grins evilly* Well, let's see if you can figure that out...  
Sue - Thanks! We aim to please - or something like that... *g* Glad you liked the end, I found the reunion quite hard to write, somehow. I hope you'll like this last bit as well!  
Thranduilion - One of the best OC you've ever seen? Thanks!! I liked him quite a lot myself - poor baby... Thanks for the review!  
Analia - Of course you can do it! Breathe in ... breathe out .... breathe in ... breathe out ... Oh, and I agree: Cornallar, Donyc, Addramyr and all the others deserved what they got! They were just plain evil! Don't woory, Estel'll be fine - I think. Read on to find out!  
Mouse - Yupp, Legolas deserved to kill him, and I agree: Poor Elrond will not be happy. I wonder if he's ever letting them out again... *g* Well, I'm sorry about Nólad, but the plot demanded it. *shrugs* Tough luck. *evil grin*  
Firnsarnien - Awww... *blushes* It wasn't that good, as it? But thanks a lot for saying all these nice things!! And COME ON, it wasn't a real cliffy! Well, I thought it wasn't! You know that I would never kill poot little Estel, don't you? Uhm 'heart pangs' Well, I'm sorry? I really liked him as well, but there was no way to let Nólad live, sorry... *g*  
Nell Marie - Glad you like it, and killing off the baddies was actually a lot of fun! Thanks for reviewing!  
Kandice - I know that feeling, believe me... *grrr* Die, C&S, die!! But I LOVE writing them... As I said, a new story is in the planning, but will unfortunately take some time to come out. You'll have to be patient, I'm afraid... *g*  
Xsilicax - 'A noble death'. I like that! That's true, Nólad was very noble indeed. Well, your darling Estel will be fine - eventually. Okay, he might have a headache for a while, but he'll heal. Well, I would like to go on, but there's not much more to happen, sorry! As Donyc said, all good thing must come to an end... Thanks for all your reviews!  
Kaeera - *grr* Ja ja ja, das sagen sie alle... Aber ok, Entschuldigung akzeptiert! *sabbert mit* Er IST cool! Ich kann es kaum ertwarten, dass X2 in die Kinos kommt... LOL, Elrond im pinken Kostuem? Interessanter Gedanke... Tja, anscheinend sind Kopfwunden ansteckend... Oder sie liegen in der Familie! Keine Angst, ein bisschen Elrohir kommt noch, leider nicht ganz so vile, fuerchte ich... Hmm, Elrohir-Verletzungs-Szene in der naechsten Story? Kann ja mal gucken, was sich da machen laest, aber die Zwillinge kommen wahrscheinlich nur am Anfang vor, denke ich. Tja, sei DU mal froh, dass du ueberhaupt einen PC hast! Ich armes Wurm habe ab So. keinen mehr! *grummelgrummel* Na ja, auf jeden Fall danke fuer all deine reviews! Man sieht sich dann im Mai, nehme ich mal an...  
Arahirien - Yeah well, Nólad WAS good, but... Sorry. *shrugs* Glad you still like it though! Thanks for the review!  
Alilacia - Sure you can put it on your hard drive. But careful, it takes quite a lot of space, there are 263 pages now! *sighs* You are right, Legolas of course GOT hurt, he's just stupid sometimes... And this time it's the twins that save Estel, they needed to get to do that as well at least once, I think... Oh, great you like the Donyc-dies-entence. I really love it, so it's great someone else does! Well, yes, Elrond is of course going on a litle guilt trip later on, where do you think Estel gets it from? Thanks sooo much for this great long review and all the others you sent me! Thanks a lot! *huggles her*  
Ana - *nods fervently* Yes, Nólad will be _very_ happy there. At least I hope so... *grins* I can just imagine what our dear elven prince would say to a spider... "Have you completely lost your mind?? A spider? A SPIDER??? Argh!!" *shrugs* Or something like that... *g*  
Lavender of the Shire - Well, it's not that I don't like long chapters, but somehow I feel that I'm losing control when it's longer than 12-15 pages... *sighs* The last one was 22, I think...   
TrustingFriendship - Yeah, you are right, I mean, I had to kill four people! It was quite a bit of hard work, I can tell you... *g* And don't worry, poor ickle Estel will wake up, I just felt that he needed a rest. A very LONG rest... *g* Thanks so much for all your reviews!  
Firondoiel - *hands her an Estel plushie* Well done! 21 chapters! That's hard work... *g* Aww, thanks for saying that, battle scenes are something like a nemesis of mine. I hate them! Yeah, I agree: Poor Nólad, but sorry, it was necessary... Glad you like it! Thanks for reviewing!  
Miss Undastood - It did NOT sound like 'Mhahahaha'! I _really_ cried! I liked Nólad, a lot! *wide eyes* Uhm, don't worry, your baby Seobryn is fine, he is not hurt, Elrond is looking after him and you'll find out what happens to him! Well, not now, but... *evil grin* Thanks so much for the compliments, but as I said in the A/N, it will take me some time to post the next story. Sorry, but there's nothing I can do about that... Thanks for all your reviews!  
Zam - *for the threehundreds time today* I AM SORRY! I liked him as well! But I never said I wouldn't hurt him and the plot demanded it. Yessir. Sorry. LOL!! That scene is great! *watches orc horde slide down the hill* ROTFL, you are just a bunch of incompetent.... Ooops, I didn't say anything! Well, if you like Celylith, great! But don't go all Lina on me and try to make him your love-slave or anything, okay? *grins evilly* Yupp, I'm sure Estel doesn't agree with Legolas on the tree subject, but that's the beauty of it, isn't it? LOL, Sourbob shrugged Tinánd and Anárion to death? That's an ... interesting ... thought... I'm sorry for disappointing your orc horde, Legolas has a weird kind of humour sometimes... Thank you and Lina SO MUCH for all your reviews! I loved every single one of them, and the one (or was it two?) time Lina didn't review I spent the whole day crying in my room... *g* J/K!! *huggles noth of them* Thanks!!  
Tbiris - You're disappointed? Wahhh!! *cries* Sorry, but I couldn't torture them to death or anything... But hey, if you want to, pay Mandos a visit and try to convince him to let Addramyr, Donyc and Cornallar out to play... *g* You want me to do what? After LOTR? Do you mean Post-War of the Ring? Well, perhaps. We'll see... Thanks for all your reviews!  
Shandrial - Oh, come on! That's not a cliffy! Not a REAL cliffy anyway... Uhm, what last comment? *evil grin* Yes, in Tolkien's universe Aragorn still has to become king, but I could make it A/U... *cackles evilly* No, never fear, only joking! I would never kill our dear ranger! Yupp, poor Nólad, but hey: I'm evil. He had to die, sorry....  
Carrie - Uhm, so I take it you are a little upset? How many times do I have to say it today, I AM SORRY? I couldn't let him live, though, he would have been so unhappy here. Without his friend and family and all that. I really cried when I Nólad-dies-in-Elrond's-arms-scene, I did! I thought it was a litle sad... Well, I really hope you WILL update soon! I might not have a computer to check regularly, but still! I demand an update! I posted, so now you have to as well! Thanks so much for all your lovely reviews, they mean a lot to me! *huggles her* Thanks!  
Marbienl - Uhm, I lost your email (well, I didn't really _lose_ it, but I can't read it right now), so I won't be able to answer any question or comment on anything you said. Sorry. Let me just say that I am still waiting for that story of yours and that I really am hoping that you will update soon, and that I really loved your feedback. Thanks a lot for all your support!  
Cestari - Don't worry, Seobryn is fine, and has finally got rid of that evil uncle of his. LOL, the Ultimate Bad Luck of the Universe, you could say that! Or they are just unlucky enough to have US after their blood... Yes, I have some of the letters, and once I have a computer I can use and a little time, I will most definitely write a review! And hey, I am not torturing them! My alter ego is... *g*   
Jambaby1963 - Well, I would love to drop a few hints (I know I am evil, I would just LOVE to torment you a bit!), but since I have no real idea of what's supposed to happen... *shrugs* Sorry. Yeah, well, Legolas was extraordinarily unhappy, I think. Plus Donyc was a real bastard, wasn't he? Huh, Hahn Airbase? I have no idea, I've never been near Hahn. I'm from the north of the country, and we never had many airbases there. Or anything else, for that matter... *g* Well, my condolences for living there, Germany is dreadful. Ah well, thanks for the reviews!  
Serenity C. - He is not dead, why does everybody so reeadily assume that I would kill him? *hurt look* I love him, I would never - permanently - harm him! No, not permanently... *evil cackle*  
Alexis - *tired sigh* I have been reassuring people the whole day now, so: He is okay, he will be fine, and I would never kill him. Okay? *g*  
Lievre - *nervous smile* Hey, you can go and kill them again if you'd like! Just go and ask Mandos if he'd let them out for a while and then... *g* I am sorry, really, but he had to die. I won't explain again just why, but he had to. *smiles* Oh, that's a really nice card! I will make sure he gets it once he wakes up from that coma of his... *evil grin* Thamks so much for all your reviews!!  
Alisha - *nods* Just like me. I always start to do things when it's already too late or I'm running out of time or something like that... It's a curse. *sour smile* Oh, it's no problem, it's so great to see you happy... If you like nagging, please, go on.... NOT! Don't you dare! It's here, I've updated! Oh, you too? He had to die, he will be much happier with his friends and family, besides, who are YOU to tell me about this? You killed or almost-killed SO MANY nice people in your story!!! Really... *shakes head* Well, I would like to thank you for all your great reviews, it was an honour for me that you've read and reviewed my weird little story. Thanks so much! *huggles her*  
Stasia - Glad you are so happy that the baddies are finally dead! *g* But hey, I am too! They were morons, all of them... *hurt look* I haven't 'maimed' them or anything! They will be fine, given time... Oh, come on, admit it: You like torture! Admit it! Admit it!! *g* Well, a bit of sarcasm never hurts, or that's at least my motto. *sighs tiredly* It's not a real cliffy, is it? I mean, you KNOW I would never kill poor little Estel, don't you? Don't you? Nah, better don't answer that... *blushes* Thanks so much for all your compliments, and all your extremely long and helpful reviews! I was always so glad to see them!  
CrazyLOTRfan - Well, I'm German! We are all odd, but quite a lot of us don't have a sense of humour, unfortunately. Plus the bavarians are _really_ weird. Besides, you can't even understand their dialect. Very odd people, those... *frowns* 'Warm fuzy ending'? Estel loses consciousness and could die? Fuzzy? *grins* No, I understand what you mean ... but hey, it's getting fuzzier! *g*  
Aralondwen - LOL, 'this much'?? That's quite a lot... Well, I would advise you not to print all of it, because it's something like 230 pages now... Your printer would probably quit on you if you tried... *g* Well, if my story gets you through biology, it's woth something, isn't it? *wide eyed* Thanks a lot for all your compliments! It's great you like it so much! Uhm, did anybody ever tell you that you're weird? Really weird? But hey: I like you! Thanks so much for your ... interesting ... reviews!!  
MidnightLoner - How many more casualities? Hmm, about thirty humans and two elves, but they did - mostly - deserve it. Thanks a lot for all your reviews! *huggles her*  
TrinityTheSheDevil - Great you love this fic, that's always great to hear! *big fat grin* Uhm, and since you ASKED so nicely, I even risk my live by sitting in froint of the screen instead of packing my things to update! Ain't that great?? *g*  
E - *gulps* Your mafia of monkeys? Well, we can't have that, can we - but it might take some time, so don't get impatient... Well, with Elrond: I think it's partly because Cornallar was an elf. I mean, it was someone he had known for a few thousand years. And I don't really know if he had really killed Donyc or one of the other men in cold blood, I mean, he was just very angry at the moment. Okay then, very very very very VERY angry. *blushes* Oh, I passed the C&S exam? Now that's great! Thanks a lot for all your lovely reviews!   
One15 - Oh, du mochtest Donyc nicht? Warum bloss?? *g* Hmm, ein Elben-sind-perfekt-Anhaenger? Na ja, ich finde NICHT, dass sie perfekt sind! *hustHaldirhustCelebornhust* Tja, ich liebe unsere beiden kleinen Elbenzwillinge auch! Sie sind einfach putzig! Och, Sachsen? Alles suedlich von Hannover ist Sueden, also: Suedstaatler. Danke fuer deine reviews!!  
Aurienia - *grins evilly* Great you like Donyc's death, I was wondering if it was evil enough. But I just couldn't come up with a better way of killing him, so I just left it like that... Well, as I said, I really can't post sooner, there's nothing I can do about it, really! Thanks so much for all your reviews, and I really loved your death threats! They were most imaginative!  
JoX5 - Yes, all good things must come to an end... I hate to end it as well, I had sooo much fun! Hey, see: Here it is, you didn't have to wait too long! *g* Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**And, for the last time: Thanks for your reviews! They helped me loads and I loved every single one of them!**  
  
  



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